


The Birth - Sequel to The Past

by Dextrousleftie



Category: Pet Shop of Horrors
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Bonding, Childbirth, Comfort, FBI, Fear, Fluff, Gay Romance, Horror, Hurt, Impregnation, Love, Lust, M/M, Oral Sex, Pregnancy, Supernatural - Freeform, Swordfighting, Werewolf, Yakuza, surfer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-18 00:07:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 46,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9352523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dextrousleftie/pseuds/Dextrousleftie
Summary: Sofu is about ready to give birth to his child with Daniel, when his elder grandson shows up. Chun Lian D is hunting a vicious, deadly shadow creature, who also happens to be pregnant. Can the Kamis find this creature and destroy it before it spawns? And what might they have to sacrifice to do so?





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue: In the mountains of Tibet, above the village of Zheng Ba

 

The Tibetan man glanced at the slender being that was standing beside him, staring off into the dusk. “You say it was here a few days ago?” a musical voice asked.

The man nodded glumly. “It killed several of the villagers, including a woman and her child who’d gone up the mountain path a bit to gather wild herbs. We found what was left of their bodies yesterday,” he shivered, making a sign to ward off evil with one hand. 

“It’s gone now,” a pair of striking purple eyes, rimmed with a circle of pure molten gold, stared hard out at the growing darkness. “I can only feel faint traces of its energy. It has moved on, looking for more prey.”

The Tibetan man shuddered at these words. “It was hungry,” he said. “It devoured most of those it killed, something it does not often do. Was it starving?”

Those amazing eyes slid his way, and the expression in their depths made him want to flee. “No,” the voice replied grimly. “It was pregnant.”

The villager groaned in deep horror, his eyes wide. “I thought it was the last of its kind?!” he cried in disbelief.

A shrug of narrow shoulders. “Apparently not. Where it found a mate I do not know, but the energy traces are of more than one creature. It is carrying at least a half-dozen cubs.”

It was amazing how such a dark-skinned man could blanch so very white. He swayed slightly, making terrible sounds in the back of his throat. “I-It…you cannot allow it to give birth!” he yelped at last, when he could speak again.

A sigh. “Much as I hate to destroy life, you are correct. I shall have to track it to its new lair, and finish both it and the cubs it carries. You must forgive me if I do not think its killing humans is enough of a reason, but it also slaughters many animals to feed its appetite. And moreover…” there was grief in the musical voice. “It killed one of my own kind not long ago, a distant cousin of mine. He was merely trying to help it, and was torn apart for his troubles. It is a vicious, mindless, creature of destruction. It cannot be allowed to live.”

“Where will you go now, Sacred Spirit?” the Tibetan man questioned. 

The purple-and-gold eyes turned to fasten on the far away horizon. “To the West,” he replied simply. “It has gone in that direction, seeking out a large population to feed it while it gives birth and suckles its young. To go East is to run into those who know of its existence, who would try to destroy it if they could. But the humans who live in the West do not believe in the supernatural, and would not recognize the threat until it was far too late. It is cunning,” he added with another sigh. “And clever. This will not be easy.”

“But there is an upside,” he went on thoughtfully, making the man stare at him. “Several members of my immediate family live far to the West, in a great city in the country called ‘America’. I have not seen them in some time. Since the creature seems to be headed in that direction, anyway, perhaps it is time for me to make a long overdue visit. That, at least, is something I shall look forward to.” The pleasure in his face at these words made the Tibetan man smile slightly. This was the only one of the elusive beings known as ‘Kami’ that he’d ever met, although he knew that there were others. It was good to hear that this gentle being had a family who loved him. 

“Good luck and many well wishes, Sacred Spirit,” he said aloud. “And good hunting, as well,” he went on more grimly.

The Kami nodded his glossy dark head. “I shall need all of the well wishes I can get,” he remarked quietly. 

 

 

Los Angeles, California, at the heart of Chinatown:

 

“Father, should you be doing that?” a stern voice asked. The man so addressed, a slim, tiny being with a bulging belly under a silky blue-and-green cheongsam, turned his head to look at his son.

“I’m perfectly fine, my son,” he replied calmly. “I am not ill, you know; I am simply with child. And your brother will not be disturbed by a little exercise,” he touched the mound of his belly, stroking it tenderly.

Lord D sighed. Trying to reason with his father was always futile when Sofu had made up his mind about something. He had been trying to talk his parent out of helping in the back of the pet shop, as he worried that the extremely pregnant Kami would injure himself or the baby with his bending, twisting, and crouching as he worked among the cages of animals. But he’d had about as much success as Daniel White Horse, Sofu’s human mate, and the father of his child, in talking the elder Kami out of doing whatever he would. It was frustrating and infuriating. He couldn't force his heavily pregnant father to sit down and rest, and Sofu’s stubbornness was impossible to get around. Pointing out that Daniel would be unhappy about this wouldn’t work, either, since the elder Kami loved his mate, but still did whatever he wished. 

Lord D glanced in despair at his own son, Count D, who was phlegmatically cleaning out water dishes. The younger Kami knew his grandfather well, since Sofu had been the one to raise him. He knew better than to argue with his grandfather, since it was a completely futile effort. Sofu’s serene strength of will was impossible to argue with. The parti-colored eyes slid his father’s way, and D merely shook his head as he put a dish back in the cage of a bright-eyed ferret. “Give it up, Father,” he remarked softly. 

Lord D sighed, symbolically throwing his hands into the air. He turned to put some fresh greens into a feeding dish, knowing that he worried too much, but unable to help it. His mate Stephen thought that his worrywort tendencies were utterly cute, a thing which baffled Lord D. While he was glad of the human’s attitude about his overanxious nature, he just did not understand why Stephen wasn’t driven crazy by him. None of his personality traits seemed to bother the tall young human, though. He considered the Kami to be completely perfect in every way. Lord D loved this belief, even though it had stunned him when he first realized how Stephen thought about him. He basked in the human’s love and approval both, sometimes feeling as young and alive as his son D when he was with Stephen. 

Stephen would have laughed gently at him if the human had been here to see him chiding his father - then would have dragged Lord D off for some afternoon recreation to take his mind off of his worries. But since his mate was in school at this time of day, the Kami tried to concentrate on what he was doing to take his mind off of his irrational fears. Sometimes it seemed to Lord D that he was far too happy, that the universe was going to sweep in and take away everything that he loved. After all, every time that he’d been happy before, his world had fallen apart spectacularly. First, with the massacre at the Royal Palace, and the death of many of his kin, plus his human lover; and then with his imprisonment, rape and torture at the hands of a sadistic human lord, just when he’d been recovering from his grief. His hands shook at the thought that he might lose what he had now, either his beloved human mate or someone in his family. He always had to take deep breaths to try to fight back his rising panic whenever he even just thought about such a thing.

Sofu glanced at his son’s profile, feeling a bit sad when he saw the expression on it. He knew why Lord D worried so much about him and his pregnancy; he understood his offspring’s irrational fears. And who deserved to have them more? But nothing he said or did would reassure Lord D when he was like this, so Sofu went on with his own work. He was just glad that Stephen would be home in a few hours, as being with his mate was the only thing that calmed his son down when he started to stress out. Stephen Caldwell had a natural ability to soothe and comfort Lord D, a gift that delighted Sofu. It was one of the reasons that the tall young human was the perfect mate for his son. 

He leaned over a bit, feeling the baby kick and move within him. 'Ah, you are feeling lively today, little one, aren’t you?' he thought at the child. 'How you will delight your father when he comes home.'

Daniel loved it when he got to See or feel their child kicking inside of Sofu’s womb. He could spend hours cupping the mound, running his hands lovingly over it. The Kami often thought that he was extremely blessed, for the first time he’d given birth, Lord D’s human father had gone ballistic and had deserted the pregnant Kami, never to return. While he’d enjoyed raising both his son and two grandsons, Sofu was grateful to have a mate who would actively participate in raising this new child. Daniel would be a wonderful father, in fact; he clearly already adored their tiny baby, even though he hadn’t even been born yet. 

It wasn’t just having a mate to help raise the child that made Sofu happy, however; he would also have the support and help of his son and grandson. Both now lived at the shop with their own human mates, Stephen Caldwell and Detective Leon Orcot. And there was also Leon’s younger brother Chris, who was eager and happy about the prospect of getting to be the baby’s godfather. It was nice to have so many of his family members around him, Sofu mused as he attended to the animals’ needs. There was only one missing piece of the puzzle – and that was the fact that his other grandson, D’s elder brother, had not come to visit them in some time. He was a wandering spirit, who seldom stayed in one place for very long. But it would still have been nice to see him again, and to inform him that he would soon have an uncle. Sofu had thought about trying to send a message to him, but since they had no idea where he was that might be impossible…

 

 

The three Kamis finished their afternoon chores mostly in silence, then retreated out to the sitting room beside the shop to have some tea and sweets. The two boys, Chris and the goat boy T-chan, came scurrying in to get their share. It made Sofu smile to see that their ‘sugar radar’ was working as well as ever. At their heels was the family pet, a fluffy little Pekinese name Cheng Tze. The tiny dog had finally come out of his depression over the loss of his friend, a wereleopard whom they’d been forced to destroy, because he’d been trapped in a horrible half-human, half-beast body. He’d been unable to shift into either form, human or leopard, and had been going slowly mad. He’d welcomed death, in the form of a bullet from Leon Orcot’s gun. But Cheng Tze, who’d befriended him, had been very sorrowful and depressed for a long time after his death. 

Sofu relaxed back against the couch with a deep sigh of relief. While he wasn’t as large as a human woman would have been, since the child was only going to weigh about half what a human newborn did, he still felt the burden. Especially now that he was fast approaching his thirteenth month of pregnancy. He felt huge and clumsy, and was happy to be off of his feet. He sipped at a cup of steaming aromatic tea, eyeing the chocolate blintzes on the plate of sweets contemplatively. 

Lord D and his son were chatting away together, as they’d formed a solid friendship since the older Kami had given up trying to be a parent to D. He’d been unable to even look at his son up until eight months ago, so trying to be his father was both foolish and futile. But they could and had become friends instead, especially as Lord D’s bitterness and fear eased, and his real personality had begun to come to the fore again. D was finally getting to see the person that Sofu remembered, the kind and gentle soul who’d been hidden behind the thick walls that Lord D had thrown up inside of himself. The person most responsible for this sea change, besides Lord D himself, was the Kami’s human mate, Stephen Caldwell. The human’s unswerving love and support had helped the battered Kami as he’d struggled to put himself back together. Both D and Sofu were extremely grateful that the young human had come into the pet shop one day to buy an animal. He’d ended up purchasing a raven he called Buddy – and had also ended up falling head-over-heels in love with the beautiful creature behind the counter. 

They all heard the doorbell tinkle, signaling a customer. D was starting to get to his feet, when to their surprise the beads hanging in the sitting room door rattled as someone pushed through. Then, every one of the Kamis cried out in shock and pleasure as they saw who was standing there. It was a slim, willowy man, with features that were nearly identical to theirs. A pair of bright purple eyes, rimmed with circles of liquid gold, looked them all over as this being smiled in greeting. He had a long mane of glossy-black hair pulled back behind his head, in a tail that reached past his waist. Those eyes swept over the members of his family gathered in the room, then became riveted on the swell of Sofu’s massive belly. 

“Well, well,” remarked Chun Lian D thoughtfully, “It seems that I’ve come for a family visit just in time, eh, Grandfather?” 

A?N:So, do you like it so far? Comment and let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kamis get Chun Lian all caught up on their news, and he does the same with his grimmer news, as well...

“Child!” Sofu exclaimed in joy, as Lord D moved toward his son with a smile on his face and his hands extended in welcome. D was also smiling, for he adored his big brother. Chun Lian took his father’s hands, his purple-and-gold eyes taking in the changes in his parent’s face. What had happened, he wondered to himself, to transform his father in the short time since he’d seen him last? 

“Father,” he said aloud, as his grandfather levered himself off the couch with D’s help. “It is very good to see you all again. And this is a very nice surprise,” he nodded toward Sofu’s abdomen, as his grandfather came toward him.

“Yes, it was a surprise to me as well,” Lord D replied wryly. “When I came here to see my father and your brother. Father had forgone telling me he was pregnant…”

Sofu colored faintly, even as he reached out for Chun Lian’s other hand. “I am sorry about that, my son,” he said apologetically.

Lord D shook his head. “There is no need to apologize, Father. I understand completely why you feared to tell me that you were having a child with a human mate, considering the way that I was…”

Chun Lian blinked. “Human mate?” he repeated. “Something tells me that I have a great deal to catch up on…” 

Sofu chuckled, patting his hand lovingly. “Yes. So please sit down, and let us tell you about everything that has happened in the last year-and-a-half. Such big changes in such a short time in a Kami’s life,” he shook his own head wonderingly. “Sometimes I can barely keep up with it myself. I've hoped that you’d come,” he added as his grandson escorted him back to his seat solicitously, “So that we could tell you all of this.”

Chun Lian smiled at him. “I’m very glad now that I came,” he replied, turning to greet his little brother. He took D’s hands, studying the younger Kami’s face. “You’re an adult now,” he marveled. “All grown up. I remember when you were just a tiny child. How the years do fly by.”

D smiled. “Yes they do. It is so good to see you again, brother.”

“Sit down,” Sofu directed all of them, "And we shall talk. Christopher,” he said to the blonde boy who was sitting on the floor with T-chan and Cheng Tze, “This is my other grandson, Chun Lian. Chun Lian, this is Christopher Orcot. His brother Leon is your brother’s mate.”

Startled silence. Chun Lian stared at the blonde child, and then looked at his sibling. “You are mated as well?”

D nodded. “Actually, Leon and I mated first, and then grandfather and Daniel White Horse.” He grinned, pointing to Lord D. “And then Father mated, brother…and with a human!”

Lord D turned faintly pink as Chun Lian’s jaw dropped. He looked flabbergasted as he stared at his parent. “That is…inconceivable,” he said slowly, sounding dazed. 

Lord D sighed. “I can understand why you would think so, my son,” he replied. “But then it was for me as well, until not so long ago. Until I met Stephen…” his purple eyes took on a soft look that astonished his son. 

Chun Lian shook his head as though to clear it. “Please begin at the beginning,” he directed his grandfather. “I want to hear everything.”

Sofu nodded. Lord D and his younger son both remained silent, letting their elder tell the astonishing tale. Chun Lian sipped at a cup of tea while listening intently, his face showing various emotions as Sofu recounted the entire story, beginning with D’s bonding with Leon Orcot and finishing with Lord D’s meeting Stephen Caldwell. Sofu explained about his son's sea change, as well as describing how they’d come to be mated(which had been a surprise to both of them). When he finally finished his recitation, Chun Lian put a hand to his forehead as though testing himself for a high fever. “This is amazing,” he said. “Astonishing. But great news nonetheless, for I see that Father not only looks better but is actually talking to you easily and without tension,” he spoke to D, who nodded.

“We have become friends of late,” he remarked.

“Yes. I do not know what to say, except that I am very happy for all of you. And it will be quite nice to have an uncle, even if he is a bit younger than I am…” his gold-rimmed purple eyes twinkled as he said this, making the other Kami laugh. 

Chun Lian sobered. “Wonderful as this news is, I’m afraid that mine is not so nice. I did not come here just to see my family, although that was one of my motives. I’m afraid that I’m tracking a shou ying.” His voice was grim as he imparted this news. 

A shocked, horrified silence fell on the room, making Chris look from one face to the other in uneasy puzzlement. Sofu’s hands clutched at his belly in an instinctive gesture, and his face was pale. Lord D shivered faintly. “I thought…that they had all been destroyed,” he said in a wavering voice.

His eldest son sighed. “Would that it were so, Father,” he replied. “I, too, thought that there were no more, until I came across the tracks and spoor of one in Tibet. I couldn’t believe it at first – but it gets worse,” he added flatly. “This one is female – and moreover…she is pregnant.”

Shocked gasps. “How?!” Sofu exclaimed, as though demanding of the Gods how they could have allowed such a thing.

Chun Lian shook his head slowly. “I do not know, Grandfather. All I do know is that she must be destroyed before she gives birth. Can you imagine…” he trailed off, but they all could. Oh yes. Although D was not old enough to remember the time when the shou ying roamed the Earth, he’d seen from his grandfather’s memories the horrors that these creatures were capable of. Fortunately, there had never been many of them, and they bred slowly. So it was thought that they’d been hunted to extinction centuries ago – but apparently that wasn’t true, after all. “I fear that this one has come to the lands of the West because she knows that the humans here do not often understand or even believe in supernatural things,” Chun Lian explained to his family. “So she will have free range for her hunting, without having to fear that the humans will begin to hunt her in turn. Who knows the atrocities she will commit? And when her young are born…I must find and kill her and very soon. I fear that she will drop her litter in no more than two moons at the most.” 

Lord D pulled himself together. “Of course we will help you in your quest to find the shou ying, my son,” he said. “All except for you, Father,” he added in an implacable tone of voice. Some things he might have been able to give way on – but not something as dangerous as this.  
0  
But Sofu merely nodded. He would never do anything to actually endanger his unborn baby, and hunting a shou ying was a very dangerous task, indeed. “We should request that both Leon and Daniel help you,” he said aloud. “Both have gained strength and healing abilities through their bonds with us, and both are very capable hunters already – although normally they only hunt human criminals,” he added. 

Chun Lian considered this idea. “You are right, Grandfather,” he conceded. “It is to be sure that your mates do believe in supernatural things, after all…” he went on with a crooked smile. 

Sofu chuckled a bit, although his golden eyes were still worried. It appeared that this wasn’t going to be a simple family reunion after all - but a far more dangerous situation, instead. Ah, just this once it would have been nice to have the simple, but life seldom worked that way. Especially for Kamis…

 

 

Just then, Lord D’s head swiveled around toward the beads covering the door. A moment later, a tall figure pushed through them, ducking his head to clear the archway. A raven flapped its wings on his shoulder, and a pair of teal-blue eyes ran over the room and unerringly fastened on the newcomer. Stephen Caldwell stopped just inside the doorway and looked curiously at Chun Lian. “Hi!” he said. “You must be D’s older brother.”

Chun Lian blinked at this statement. “Yes I am,” he replied.

A nod of a blue-dyed head. “Yeah, I can see the family resemblance,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. The Kami laughed drolly at his words, for Stephen would have had to be blind or mentally deficient not to be able to see the resemblance.

“And you must be Father’s mate, Stephen Caldwell. He did say you were very tall,” Chun Lian added, looking the young giant up and down.

Stephen grinned. “You would not believe how many recruiters for basketball teams have approached me,” he said enigmatically, making them all give him puzzled, uncomprehending stares. The young human only laughed as he strolled over to sit down next to his mate. He slung a long arm over Lord D’s shoulders. “Hey, babe, what’s up? You feel a little tense and worried about something,” he said, looking down at the top of the glossy head in concern.

Lord D sighed, glancing up into those steady blue eyes. “My elder son has brought us some disturbing news, Stephen. He is hunting a creature called a shou ying – which might loosely translate into English as ‘A beast of shadows’. It is a terrible creature, which slaughters not to consume the flesh of its prey, but to feed on its terror, instead. That is its nourishment…fear. We thought these beings were all extinct, that humans and Kami alike had hunted down and destroyed them. But my son Chun Lian brought us word that there is at least one still alive, perhaps more…and that this one is a female carrying a litter of pups. This is very bad, Stephen. A shou ying could turn this city into a charnel house – and an entire litter does not bear thinking about,” he shivered in Stephen’s embrace, making the human tighten his grip comfortingly. 

“How do you know it's come to L.A.?” Stephen asked Chun Lian.

“I managed to follow its psychic traces here. The shou ying will prefer a warm environment with lots of prey and places for it to hole up when it is ready to give birth. This city is ideal for her purposes, so it is no great surprise that she migrated here. But the very size of this city will make my hunt even more difficult. She could be anywhere.”

Stephen frowned. “So how can we find her?” he asked, making Lord D lift his head and give his mate a startled look.

“What?” the young human replied. “I knew the moment you told me about this thing that you’d be going after it, too. And if you think you’re leaving me behind when you go hunting some dangerous, horrible creature, then you have another think coming, babe.” His voice was firm, making Chun Lian chuckle in spite of himself. He thoroughly approved of this mate of his father’s. He couldn’t wait to meet the other two humans who comprised the rest of his family. He was absolutely sure that they must be extraordinary. 

“But Stephen…” Lord D looked appalled as he thought of his mate joining them on the hunt.

“No ‘buts’. I’m going,” Stephen replied mulishly. “Look, I know you worry about me, babe. But you don’t have to. I’ll heal up just like you do, won’t I?”

Lord D looked stricken, but there was nothing he could say to this. It was true that Stephen now possessed his healing capabilities, since they were mated. But this touched too close to his irrational fears that he would lose his precious mate. If anything happened to Stephen, he didn’t think that he would want to go on living any more. He couldn’t even tolerate the thought. He started shaking, tremors which the human felt. He pulled the Kami completely into his arms, engulfing him. “It’s okay, baby,” he crooned tenderly. “Really. Nothing is gonna happen to me. I’ll never leave you,” his reassurances helped a little, as the other three Kamis gave him almost identical approving looks for his care of and concern over his mate. His hands stroked down Lord D’s back over and over, and after a short time the Kami began to breathe easier and to calm down a bit. Being with Stephen always had this effect on him – he was always calmer, less stressed and less worried when he was with his mate. His hands came up to circle the tall young human’s form, and he held on tightly as he buried his face in the front of Stephen’s shirt. 

The raven on the human’s shoulder bent its head to nibble at the Kami’s glossy hair, for Buddy had taken a liking to his owner’s mate and didn’t like to see Lord D upset. He croaked softly, as though crooning to the distressed being. Chun Lian’s lips twitched at this tableau, although he was very glad to see how tenderly Stephen cared for his mate. Which was how it should be in a proper bonding, the Kami thought to himself. It was just that he’d never imagined that his father would ever form such a bond with anyone, let alone a human, because of how damaged he’d been for so very long. When he’d arrived at that little house, after his grandfather had sent word to him about what had happened to Lord D, he’d found a mere shell of a Kami. His father was gone - and frankly he’d thought that Lord D would never return. It had grieved him to see the person his parent had become - a bitter, twisted and fearful creature who could not move past what had happened to him. Not that Chun Lian could blame him for being that way – who wouldn’t have been, after the trauma he’d suffered? But he’d truly feared that the father he’d known his entire life would never come again, so to see his reemergence now was a startling but wondrous thing. And for bringing him back, Stephen Caldwell would have Chun Lian’s eternal gratitude and favor.

The tall young human gently pushed his mate away, and lifted a hand to wipe away the crystalline tears gilding down that lovely porcelain face. “You have to try to get over your fears if you can, babe,” he softly counseled the Kami. “I know why you have them, but I’m not gonna lock myself up in our room 24/7 to keep safe. I’ve gotta go out and live my life, and there are always going to be dangers inherent in that. And don’t you think that I’d worry all the time while you were out hunting this thing? Don’t you know that I’d go crazy with worry, in fact? I couldn’t stand just waiting around without knowing that you were all right.”

Lord D looked rather taken aback, for it had not really occurred to him that Stephen might worry about him just as he did about the young human. But of course he would…And Stephen was right about the fact that he had to try to face his fears, if he could. He knew how irrational they were, but they were all the more powerful because of that fact. “Very well, Stephen,” he husked. “You may come on the hunts with us, but only if you promise me that you will not rush into danger. Please be a bit cautious at least…” he begged, making Stephen laugh and shake his head.

“Do you really think that I’m some kind of adrenaline junkie?” he demanded. Then he grinned. “Although I suppose I can forgive you for thinking that, since I was courting danger every time that I talked to you…”

Everyone else burst out laughing, as Lord D glared at his mate for this impudence. But Stephen only winked at him, then bent down to kiss him lovingly. And the Kami forgot about both their audience and his feelings of outrage alike as he returned this kiss with fervor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon has a new case that may have something to do with the shou ying...

Chun Lian lifted a hand to conceal his smile as his father was thoroughly kissed by his tall young mate. His gold-rimmed purple eyes twinkled above it. Lord D seemed to have lost all track of his surroundings, which delighted the younger Kami. That the Gods had sent such a perfect person to his sire! It seemed they had decided to make up for some of the awful things that they’d put Lord D through in his life. In his opinion it was appropriate anyway, that a human should restore his father to life, when it had been a human who’d stolen that life from him in the first place. He glanced at his grandfather, and Sofu winked at him. He had to struggle not to laugh. 

Stephen finally released Lord D, who blinked as he returned to reality. When he realized that his family had been watching him make out with his mate, he turned rather red and looked flustered. Stephen merely grinned at Chun Lian as he put an arm around his mate’s slender waist. D handed his father a cup of tea, concealing his own amusement. “Would you like some, Stephen?” he asked the young human. 

“Nah, that’s okay. But thanks for asking,” Stephen replied easily. “I've got this,” he held up a bottle of flavored water that was half-empty. He liked to drink them when he was working at his part-time job as a landscaper. 

“So,” he added, looking at Chun Lian, “Your dad here,” he squeezed his mate tenderly, “Told me something about you, but not very much. Maybe we should get acquainted? Seeing as how you’re family, and all,” he went on.

The Kami smiled at him. “That is an excellent idea, Stephen,” he said. “What would you like to know?” 

“Hmm. Well, Lord D said you travel a lot,” the young human began. “So I bet you’ve been everywhere.”

“Perhaps not everywhere, but many places,” Chun Lian agreed readily. 

“Cool. I went to Europe last year, but that’s about it. I’d love to travel,” Stephen   
remarked wistfully. 

“Considering how much longer your lifespan has become because of the mating with my father, you have all the time in the world to go wherever you choose,” Chun Lian pointed out.

Stephen brightened up. “Yeah, that’s true,” he agreed, looking down at his mate. “So, you wanna hit the road with me eventually, babe? See the world and all that?”

Lord D looked into those teal-blue eyes and replied seriously: “I will go anywhere with you, Stephen.”

Chun Lian refrained from going ‘aww’ only with an effort, as the young human’s eyes lit up and he leaned down to softly kiss his mate on the lips once more. “Ahh, the first flush of mating,” Sofu remarked softly to his two grandchildren. “I would like to believe that Daniel and I weren’t so sentimental in the very beginning, but somehow I doubt it…”

D laughed. “It is always that way, Grandfather,” he pointed out. Then he noticed the wistful expression on his elder brother’s face. “Sorry.”

Chun Lian said with a shrug, “I cannot help but feel a bit jealous. You are all so happy. But I’ll get over it,” he continued drolly. “And I’m just glad that you are all doing so well – especially Father,” he added with a glance at his parent, who was still wrapped up in his mate. 

“Well, child, I would like to tell you that it will happen to you someday, too, but since I really don’t know…” Sofu said. He lifted his own shoulders ruefully. “And look at the age I got to before I met Daniel. The Fates are often whimsical,” he added with a moue. 

Chun Lian waved a slim hand at him. “It is all right Grandfather. I am a solitary soul, anyway. I can handle being alone; in point of fact, most of the time I prefer it.”

“I know you do,” Sofu patted his other hand comfortingly. “But you never know,” he said. “Truly in this life you never know.”

 

 

Leon Orcot stood frowning down at the body sprawled on the concrete in the old warehouse. The man’s face was twisted, his wide open eyes staring up at the ceiling in silent terror. He was dead, but there wasn’t a mark on him…if he’d just had a heart attack or something, why did he look so scared? The blonde detective had the urge to scratch his head. He’d have to wait for the autopsy to see if it had been a disease or something, but the expression on the corpse’s face made the hairs try to stand up on the back of his neck. He just had the weird feeling that there was something very wrong here. Maybe it was being mated to a supernatural creature like Count D, but lately he’d been getting more feelings about certain cases. His instincts seemed to have sharpened, and they were telling him that something bad had happened to this guy...something very, very bad. 

His partner Jill was squatted down next to the body, studying the face up close. The guy from the M.E.’s office was on the other side, touching the corpse as he ran through his examination. “Poor bastard looks like he saw a soul-sucking demon coming at him,” Jill remarked with a shake of her head. “His eyes are practically bugged out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look so scared before this.”

Leon felt another chill turn down his spine at her words. He wished that he could leave the warehouse to get away from the body. He didn’t like his own reaction, since he’d seen plenty of dead bodies in his years as a homicide detective. What was spooking him about this particular one? But before he could do or say anything, he became aware that a man had walked up beside him. Startled, he turned to look at the newcomer. This guy wasn’t wearing a cop’s uniform, but was wearing a suit that just screamed ‘federal’ instead. He also had short-cropped golden-brown hair, a piercing pair of light-green eyes that reminded Leon of a cat’s, and the build of a swimmer or martial artist. 

He returned Leon’s stare for a moment, before reaching into his suit and pulling out a leather i.d. wallet. “I’m FBI Agent Garreth Cooper,” he said crisply. “Are you Detective Leon Orcot?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” the blonde replied warily. “What’s the FBI want with this one?” he nodded at the body.

The green eyes slewed to where the corpse lay on the concrete. Jill had turned a bit and was giving him a narrow-eyed, thoughtful stare. “This man was an informative of ours. We just want to know that his death isn’t connected with that fact,” he replied coolly.

“You think that somebody found out that he was one of your rats, and scared him to death because of that fact?” Leon said incredulously. 

The FBI agent shrugged. “We’re just covering our bases, Detective,” he said. He looked back down at the body. “Do you think he was scared to death?” he asked Leon.

“Hell, I don’t know. He could have had a heart attack or something,” the blonde replied irritably. “It’s just the look on his face…” he grimaced. 

Jill rose lightly to her feet. “Are we even needed here anymore?” she asked tartly, “Since the FBI is here. You guys can handle it, right?” she gave the agent a hard stare which made him look rather taken aback. Even Leon was a little surprised. 

“Err…yes, of course,” Garreth Cooper said with a frown. He was staring at Jill – but what man didn’t? She was very pretty, and quite sexy, as well. She nodded sharply. “Let’s get the hell out of here then, Leon,” she said to her astonished partner. She strode away, and the blonde glanced after her and them at the FBI agent. He shrugged and walked after his partner, glad to be out of the warehouse and away from that disturbing body. 

“Hey, Jill, what was that all about?” he demanded as he got into their car outside.

She snorted. "I just don’t like the Feds, Leon,” she replied. “What cop does?”

“Yeah, but you seemed to have a real hard-on back there,” he remarked as he started the engine. “You have something personal against the Feds?”

Jill sighed. “Maybe,” she replied in a tone that told the blonde that she didn’t want to talk about it. 

 

 

Daniel walked into the shop, carrying a tin of very expensive chocolates and a bag of some scented oils that he’d found in a specialty shop. He intended to give his mate a massage tonight, helping with the aches and pains that advanced pregnancy were causing in Sofu. He heard voices from the sitting room, and veered toward the beads. To his surprise, when he pushed through them, he saw that a strange new Kami had joined his mate and the others. A pair of gold-rimmed purple eyes looked at him, and he realized almost instantly that this must be Sofu’s eldest grandchild. “Hello,” he said as Sofu called a greeting to him from the sofa. 

“Hello,” the Kami returned. “It is nice to meet you. You must be my grandfather’s mate?”

“That’s right, I’m Daniel White Horse,” as he spoke, he walked over to the sofa and sat down next to his very pregnant mate. He didn’t want Sofu to stand if he didn’t have to, considering the load that the Kami was carrying. He kissed his mate on the lips in greeting, one of his big hands cradling the bulge of the Kami’s belly. “Hey, sweet Sof. You gonna introduce me?” he nodded at the newcomer. 

“Of course. Daniel, this is my grandson Chun Lian D. He just arrived this afternoon to see us,” Sofu replied. 

“Great. You’ve made his day,” Daniel said to Chun Lian. “He’s been hoping to see you for awhile.”

The younger Kami smiled. “Yes, I’m very glad that I came to see my family, as so many surprising and delightful things seemed to have happened to them since I saw them all last,” he replied with a twinkle in his eyes. 

Daniel’s lips twitched. “Do I go under surprising or delightful?” he asked curiously, making Sofu chuckle. 

“A bit of both,” Chun Lian said promptly, making everyone laugh. 

 

 

Leon was glad to leave work for the day, since that body at the warehouse was still disturbing him. He wanted to talk with his mate about it; maybe D could come up with something. Plus, Jill had been a touch moody for the rest of the day after the warehouse. He could feel a headache coming on as he drove up to the pet shop, and he turned off the engine with a happy sigh. The best part of his day - he got to see and hold his lovely mate, hug his little brother, and hang out with the other members of his new family. He and Daniel had become fast friends, and both of them treated Stephen as though he were a younger brother. Which wasn’t really surprising, he mused to himself as he walked into the shop. After all, they were all humans, but now that they were mated to Kamis they were going to outlive everybody else they knew except for each other and their mates. So it wasn’t a shock that they were forming tight bonds. 

D appeared at the door of the sitting room. “Leon,” he said, his face lighting up at the sight of his mate. He came toward the blonde, holding out his hands. “I have some good news,” he told Leon happily. “My brother arrived today.”

Leon took those slim hands in his own. “That’s great, honey,” he replied. He pulled the Kami closer so that he could hug D. “I need some good news after today,” he muttered, making D look up at him in concern.

“What is it, Leon?” he asked softly.

“I’ll tell you in a bit. For now, introduce me to your bro,” the blonde said. 

D led him into the sitting room, where yet another near D clone was occupying one of the sofas. This one had hair that was even longer than Lord D’s, and purple eyes with an exotic gold rim to them. “This is my mate, Leon Orcot,” D told this other Kami proudly, making a smile move over red lips.

“Ahh, I’ve heard so much about you, Detective,” the Kami said. “My brother can’t stop talking about you. I am Chun Lian D,” he added.

“Great to meet you. Looks like I’m the last one,” Leon said, seeing that Daniel and Stephen were already home and cuddling their mates. 

“Yes. And now that you are both here, there is something that we need to tell you,” Sofu said gravely. “About the other reason that my grandson came to Los Angeles.”

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” the blonde replied, looking from one to the other of the Kamis as he felt the emotions that D was feeling. 

Daniel and Leon listened as the Kamis recapped what they’d told Stephen earlier about this dangerous beast called a shou ying. Leon felt that creeping chill again as he listened, for his mind immediately went to the body in the warehouse. “Excuse me,” he said, interrupting Chun Lian in mid-phrase. “But I have to know. How does this thing feed on people’s fear?”

The Kami looked at him. “It inspires great fear in humans by showing them the thing they are most afraid of,” he replied. “And then it feeds on the terror that they project when they see whatever visions that it sends them.”

“Then,” the detective said in apprehension, “It doesn’t actually like attack them physically? It doesn’t leave marks on them when it scares them? And does it scare them to death?” he added.

D gave him a concerned glance, as the Kami felt his emotions. Chun Lian replied: “No, it seldom attacks its victims physically. While it did so recently, and consumed part of the bodies, I believe that it did this only because it is carrying cubs and so has nutritional needs that are not normal for it. For the most part, the shou ying can feed without touching the victim at all. And, yes, it often literally scares its prey to death. Why do you ask?”

They were all looking at him questioningly now. Leon sighed. “Because I think I saw one of its victims today,” he replied bluntly. D exclaimed beside him as he went on: “We had a call about a body in a warehouse, and when we went to investigate it the guy didn’t have a mark on him. But damn – the look on his face…” he shook his head. “He looked like he’d seen something so terrifying that his mind just imploded or something. I swear his eyes were practically bugging out of his head. It gave me the creeps.”

Chun Lian looked apprehensive. “That does sound as though it might be a victim of the shou ying,” he remarked unhappily. “While I am glad that I tracked it to the right city, it is not reassuring to know that it is loose in such a large place. Capturing and destroying it will not be an easy task at all.”

“You can say that again,” Leon replied grimly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chun Lian makes the acquaintance of a certain yakuza boss, whose men mistake him for someone else and kidnap him.

“Anything?” Leon asked. He and Jill were watching as Chun Lian and Lord D knelt on the concrete of the warehouse, both Kami trying to see if they could catch traces of the shou ying. 

Chun Lian shook his head as he sat back on his heels with a resigned sigh. “No, I’m afraid not, Leon. This man-made material does not hold energy traces very well. The shou ying may have killed that man...but it is impossible for us to tell.”

The detective frowned. “So what do we do now?” he asked the two Kamis.

Lord D smoothed the front of his cheongsam. “I’m very much afraid that we will have to wait until the beast strikes again, Leon,” he remarked sadly.

“So you mean we have to wait until it kills somebody ELSE?!” the blonde yelped.

Both of them nodded their glossy heads. “I don’t like it either, Leon,” Chun Lian said earnestly, “But there is no other choice. The creature could be anywhere in this enormous city. Not even Ten-chan can track something without having its scent.”

Jill sighed. Leon had informed his partner this morning of the arrival of yet another of the D family, and also about the fact that this Chun Lian D was tracking a nasty creature called a shou ying. “We can make sure that we hear about every body that looks like the guy that was here yesterday,” she remarked to Leon. “If we know right away, we might be able to get the Kamis there in time to find any traces it leaves behind.”

He ran his hand through his hair in frustrated anger. “I just don’t like the fact that we have to wait for somebody to get killed,” he growled.

“None of us like it, Leon,” Jill replied testily. “But what else would you suggest we do?”

Leon blinked at her tone. Jill still seemed to be in a bad mood after their meeting with that FBI guy yesterday. “Uh, okay,” he said warily. “But if we can’t do anything else, we’ll take you guys back to the shop for now,” he said to the two Kami.

They nodded, and all of them left the warehouse together to go to the detectives’ car. Nobody said much of anything on the drive to the pet shop, each lost in their various thoughts. When Leon drove up to the curb, the two Kami exited the vehicle. Leon also got out to go in and give his mate a kiss before he went back to work. He needed to hold D at the moment, anyway, because it would help ease his anxiety and anger. He followed Chun Lian and Lord D into the shop, his eyes lighting up when he saw his mate behind the counter. D’s parti-colored eyes also began to glow, although the feelings he was getting from the detective told him without words that his father and brother had been unsuccessful. He came around to take Leon’s hands in his own. 

“You didn’t find anything?” he said to the other two Kami. 

Lord D sighed. “No. No traces. There is no way for us to discover if the shou ying killed that man yesterday.”

D turned to look up at his mate. “Please don’t worry, Leon,” he said softly. “We will find the shou ying.”

Leon squeezed his slender hands, feeling a bit better already. “I know, honey,” he replied. “I’m just wondering how many people are gonna die before we do.”

 

 

Chun Lian walked down the street, on his way to a vegetable shop. He carried a basket over one arm, intent on purchasing food for everyone at the pet shop (but most especially the vegetarian Kamis). He had taken on this chore because he wanted to get out in the fresh air (well, air, anyway). He was used to being out-of-doors often, and he felt trapped if he stayed indoors for any length of time. Plus, he wanted some exercise and to stretch his legs. He made his way through the bustling crowds, sniffing appreciatively the smells coming from a restaurant nearby. His ears caught the chattering sound of many voices speaking various Chinese dialects, and he felt more at home than he had in some time. 

Not far away, a sleek black car with tinted windows idled at the curb. “That’s her,” a voice said, pointing to the lovely porcelain-skinned Chinese woman walking through the crowds with a basket on one arm. 

Chun Lian stopped at the crosswalk and waited patiently for the light to change. Suddenly, he became aware of the fact that a half-a-dozen dark-suited men had crowded in around him. He realized that he was being boxed in at the same time that a smelly bit of cloth was slapped over his face. Startled, he reared back and tensed his muscles to fight, but he gasped deeply in surprise at the same time, and his lungs filled up with fumes. He swayed, his strength running away, his legs buckling. He felt hands catch him up, and then darkness fell over him.

One of the dark-suited men swung the lovely Chinese woman into his arms and carried her away toward the black car. None of the other pedestrians on the street protested this action, because it was a good survival technique to look the other way and pretend that you hadn't seen anything. The men got into the back of the car, and the vehicle drove away.

 

 

A bit later, a hulking man with Asian features carried the still unconscious form into an office and set it down on a leather couch. Another man rose from behind a desk and approached the couch. He looked down at the person slumbering there, and a terrible silence fell. Then he spoke the words that chilled the big man to the bone: “Who is this?” the deep voice rumbled; a contained, controlled fury in its tones.

“Boss?” the hulking man said, taking a step back, as a pair of narrowed, pewter-colored eyes met his. 

“This is not Li Yan Chang, Genji,” the man barked. “In point of fact, this is not even a WOMAN!” he pointed at the slender figure lying on his couch. 

The big man gaped at him. “But…” he protested. “It HAS to be a woman! This person is too beautiful to be a man!”

“Beautiful he may be,” growled the other man, “But it is most definitely a beautiful man. You have kidnapped some stranger, Genji. You should take him back to Chinatown immediately and dump him off. Then bring me the real Li Yan Chang. Is that understood?” Before the hulking man could reply, the figure on the couch stirred. Striking eyes, a deep purple with a liquid gold rim around them, flickered open. Several curses rang through the office as those peculiar eyes moved up to stare at the man’s face.

Chun Lian felt like his head was stuffed with cotton wool. Muzzily he peered up at the man standing over him, seeing a strong-featured, rather angular Asian face that was surprisingly handsome despite its austerity. Dark hair was cut neat and short around this face, and a broad-shouldered form wore a tailored dark suit. Eyes the color of pewter met his, as the Kami tried to remember just what had happened. He struggled to speak. “Who are you?” he said hoarsely.

A sigh. The man didn’t say anything to Chun Lian; instead he said something to someone out of the Kami’s eye line. He spoke in a language that it took Chun Lian a moment to identify as Japanese. “This changes nothing. He still has no idea who we are. Sedate him again and take him back.”

“Of course, Boss,” another voice replied. 

Chun Lian spoke again, his brain still not working properly. If it had been, he would most likely have kept his mouth shut...because he spoke in Japanese himself, one of the many languages he knew. “I’d really like it if you didn’t sedate me,” he said politely. “My head already hurts.”

Shocked silence. The pewter eyes had slewed back to his again. “You speak very good Japanese,” the deep-voiced man noted coolly.

Chun Lian blinked up at him. “So do you,” he said, making a sensual mouth twitch a little. “You drugged and kidnapped me, I presume. Why?”

The human hesitated, then shrugged. “We thought you were someone else. My men mistook you for a woman,” he added with annoyance in his voice.

“Oh,” Chun Lian considered this. “Why do the Japanese yakuza want a Chinese woman?” he asked curiously. 

More shocked silence. The Kami had to fight the urge to giggle helplessly, partly from the residue of the ether. “What makes you think we are yakuza?” the deep-voiced man demanded.

Chun Lian laughed wryly. “What else would you be? Japanese men in dark suits who kidnap people off the streets? Not to mention the fact that I can see the edge of your tattoo protruding from under your collar,” he went on. 

“I see,” the pewter eyes narrowed. “I am in something of a quandary here. Should I allow you to go, considering the fact that you have seen my face? Or should I simply dispose of you?”

Chun Lian lifted his brows as he slowly sat up and cradled his throbbing head in his hands. “You're being a bit melodramatic, don’t you think?” he remarked in some asperity. “Threatening to kill me just because I know what you look like. I don’t know anything else about you after all; you could simply blindfold me and walk me out of this office, and I won’t be able to tell anyone anything. And who will believe that I was kidnapped by the Japanese yakuza? Honestly,” he snorted. 

The yakuza boss looked rather taken aback. He met those startling purple-and-gold eyes, a fascinated expression on his face. He wasn’t used to dealing with people who weren’t afraid of him. But clearly this exquisite creature wasn’t scared of him in the least; rather, amusement danced in those exotic eyes. “Who are you?” he found himself asking. 

“My name is Chun Lian D.” the gorgeous Chinese male folded slim hands in his lap. “And you?” he enquired. “It’s only polite to give your name in exchange for mine.”

For some odd reason, he found himself replying. “I am Kazuhari Seiichi.” Then his mouth snapped shut, and an expression of surprise and disbelief spread over his handsome face. 

“It’s very nice to meet you,” the Kami said politely as he got carefully to his feet. “But I must be going now. Could you have your man blindfold me and take me back to Chinatown?”

To his utter and total bafflement, the yakuza boss turned to the hulking man by the door and said: “Do as he says. Then find your real target, Genji. Don’t come back without her.”

Chun Lian waited patiently while the enforcer found something to use as a blindfold. The man who’d identified himself as Kazuhari Seiichi had gone back to sit behind his desk. The human looked rather shell-shocked, as though he were struggling to try to understand just why he’d given his name to the Kami. Chun Lian looked down to conceal the twinkle of amusement in his eyes. He hadn’t lived as long as he had, and dealt with humans as often as he did, without knowing how to make them do what he wanted. This one, the yakuza boss, was an alpha wolf. To show fear was to show throat. To do that was to admit that he had power over you. But if you made yourself an equal in his eyes, he’d treat you as one, whether he wanted to or not. While the Kami had never studied psychology, he hadn’t had to. He was a student of human behavior, naturally and over the long term. 

The hulking man came over to him with a length of cloth. The Kami let him tie this around his eyes, then a big hand cupped his elbow to lead him out of the office. “Good-bye, Kazuhari-san,” he remarked as the enforcer took him away. “It was nice to meet you,” he added with only a bit of sarcasm in his voice. 

 

 

The yakuza boss watched as his man took the lovely Chinese male out of his office. He was frowning to himself, the fingers of his right hand tapping on the wood of his desk. Just who had that person been? He was as lovely as any woman, with cherry-red lips and perfect porcelain skin. His glossy black hair was nearly waist-length, and he had those marvelous eyes like none that the yakuza boss had ever seen before. And that voice…he drummed his fingers sharply on the wood, not understanding his own reaction to the mistakenly kidnapped Chinese man. He’d expected his men to bring him the wife of an important Chinese tong leader, a man that his own organization was having a feud with over the distribution rights of certain products throughout Asia. By all reports, Ken Chang was enamored of his beautiful wife. He would do anything to retrieve her once she was in the hands of his enemies. 

Instead, his bumbling men had brought him…Chun Lian D. A man who looked like a woman, and whose eyes had been…old. Very, very old. That was the sense that Kazuhari had gotten as he’d looked into them. There was something strange about this person, and his curiosity had been roused. He would simply have to find out who this Chun Lian D really was, and moreover…WHAT he was. For the yakuza boss, who was not prone to fits of fantasy, knew with a certainty that the man who’d just been in his office was not a normal human. Whatever it took, he meant to discover the true nature of this Chun Lian D. 

 

 

The dark-suited men drove the blindfolded Chun Lian to Chinatown and escorted him out of the car. One of them removed the blindfold and he saw that he was standing on the same street corner that they’d taken him from not an hour ago. “Arigatou,” he said with a slight bow to them, making the yakuza men look rather disconcerted. “Now may I have my basket back, please?” He said, holding out an imperious hand. “I still have some shopping to do.”

They stared at him, then one of the men turned and went over to the car. He reached into the back and retrieved the basket that Chun Lian had had over his arm. He brought it over to the Kami, who took it. Chun Lian put it back over his arm then waved a hand at them. “Now I believe you have some other business to attend to. Good day, gentlemen,” and he walked away without looking back, leaving another set of baffled looks behind him as he went.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sofu has his baby...

Several weeks passed, with no signs of another shou ying kill. Chun Lian was beginning to think that it might have moved on, and he was reluctantly considering leaving to try to track it down. He didn’t want to; these last weeks with his family had been good ones. But he had no choice, since he had to find the beast before she whelped. Then one day, when he was walking down the street at the heart of Chinatown, an odor brought him to a shocked halt. He knew that stink. The shou ying had been somewhere near here, and not long ago, either. He scoured the streets and alleys around where he’d caught the scent, but found nothing else. Nevertheless, it told him clearly that the creature had not moved on at all. She was denning somewhere in L.A., and was sure to kill again soon, if she hadn’t already. He took this news back to the shop. While Sofu, D and Lord D were happy that Chun Lian was staying with them for awhile longer, the continued presence of the shou ying in Los Angeles was still disturbing. They were all aware that they needed to find and destroy it before it spawned more of its hideous kind.

 

 

The day after this discussion, the Kamis were enjoying their afternoon tea, while watching Chris and T-chan wrestle on the floor boisterously with Cheng Tze. Sofu started to sip at his tea, but suddenly he gasped and his hand flew to his belly. “Father, are you all right?” Lord D cried in concern.

The elder Kami sighed as he set his cup on the table. “I’m fine, my son. But it seems that your brother has decided that it is his time to come into the world.”

A flurry of exclamations and activity broke out over this calm statement. An amused-looking Sofu was helped to his room by his two grandsons, while Lord D rushed to gather the things needed for the birth. He also intended to call the prospective father and tell Daniel that his child was about to be born. Chun Lian and D helped Sofu take his clothing off before they practically carried him to the bed. Then they piled pillows behind his back, as the older Kami concentrated on the rippling in his belly that told him his child was on its way. He was in mental contact with the babe, soothing and talking to him to ease the birth trauma. D left to tell Christopher and T-chan what was happening, and to reassure both boys that Sofu would be fine. The blonde child was greatly excited, as he would finally be able to be a godfather at long last. 

 

 

Daniel White Horse was working at his desk when he felt an odd surge of emotions from his mate. He was going to call the shop, but just as he was thinking about it, his phone rang. He picked it up and heard Lord D’s familiar voice on the other end. “Daniel? Father has gone into labor. The babe will be born soon. You should come now.” 

“On my way!” Daniel replied as he jumped swiftly to his feet. “Look after him for me, Lord D.”

“I will,” the Kami said before he hung up. 

The SWAT commander raced out of the building, stopping only to cite a family emergency before he bolted. His heart was pounding very fast as he hurled himself into his truck and took off with a screech of tires. He was going to be a dad at last! He called Leon one-handedly as he negotiated the afternoon traffic. “Orcot,” Leon said.

“Leon. This is Daniel. I’m on my way to the shop right now. Sof’s having the baby.”

“Whoa! Okay, Jill and I will swing by if we can. Congrats, guy…or should I say Dad?” He laughed as he hung up, and Daniel grinned as he threw his phone on the seat next to him. He could handle that appellation just fine. 

 

 

He broke every speed limit in the book getting home, feeling the strong emotions pouring off of his mate. But none of them seemed negative, for which he felt acute relief. If anything happened to Sofu or the baby…nope, he wasn’t going to think about that. He parked at the curb in front of the shop and threw himself out of the truck, running for the door. It had a ‘closed for business’ sign up, which wasn’t a huge surprise. The other Kamis would all be with Sofu while he gave birth. He stiff-armed through it, glad that no one had locked it. He wouldn’t have wanted to take the time to fumble with his keys right now. 

His bond led him unerringly to their room, and he saw Sofu’s golden eyes light up as he came through the door. The Kami was lying on the bed with a lap quilt draped over his upper body, and his slim legs spread wide. Lord D was kneeling between them, while Chun Lian and D sat on either side of their grandfather and held his hands. “Daniel,” the elder Kami breathed. 

He rounded the bed, catching a glimpse of…lord, was that an extra opening in the perineum? Well of course, the baby had to come out somewhere…and it wasn’t as though Sofu were a woman with a vagina. But it still made his stomach twist a bit, for the Kami was just so small…D vacated his spot so that Daniel could take his place, and the human grasped his mate’s slim hand tightly. “Hey, sweet Sof. You okay?” he asked anxiously.

The lovely being smiled reassuringly at him. “I’m fine, Daniel,” he said squeezing his human’s hand tenderly. “We’re both fine,” he added, meaning the baby. “It won’t be long now.”

“The birth passage is almost open,” Lord D confirmed from down between his father’s legs.

Daniel looked surprised. “What, already?” he said. “I mean I'm not complaining about a quick birth, but…” 

“We Kami males are not human women, Daniel,” Sofu pointed out. “As I told you before, our births have to be quick and easy or we would never make it through them.”

“That’s great,” Daniel replied. He didn’t want his mate to suffer or struggle giving birth to their child. Sofu took deep breaths, looking relaxed and calm. 

Daniel lifted the hand he was holding and kissed the fingers tenderly. Sofu’s golden eyes smiled at him, love in their depths. “Come and See our child, Daniel,” he said softly. He pulled his mate down into his womb so that the human could know that the baby wasn’t in distress. Together they watched their child as it prepared to come into the world. The muscles of the womb rippled as Lord D said encouragingly: “The passage is open, Father. You must push now.”

Sofu tightened his fingers on Daniel’s and Chun Lian’s as he bore down. He made a soft sound of pain but that didn’t stop him from continuing to push. He bit his lip a little, concentrating as all of his muscles tensed with his efforts. “Hold on there, Sof,” Daniel said to him. “You can do it, love. Christ, he’s moving!” he exclaimed when he Saw the baby beginning to slide out of Sofu’s womb.

“I should hope so,” the elder Kami panted tartly. 

“Father, I can see the head!” Lord D cried from between his legs. “Push a bit harder, he should be out soon.” 

“Excellent news,” Sofu groaned from between his gritted teeth. His back bowed a bit as he pushed with all of his might, taking strength from his mate and the knowledge that it would be over soon. Lord D cradled the tiny head as his brother slid out into his hands, first the shoulders and then the tiny body. Sofu expelled a long breath of relief, as he gave a last strong push and his new son was caught up in his brother’s slim but strong hands. 

Lord D quickly cleared the mucus from the baby’s mouth and then blew into the child’s lungs. This breath of life from his relative caused the baby’s chest to heave, and he gave his first cry as his brother used a small silver knife to cut the umbilical cord. He tied it off neatly as D handed him a length of cloth to wrap the child’s little body in. He handed his brother briefly to his son, and then encouraged his father to expel the afterbirth. Chun Lian abandoned Sofu’s right hand to help his father clean up, as D carried the squalling baby over to Daniel so that the two men could see their newborn for the first time. 

Daniel’s amber eyes were a little wide as D held out the cloth-wrapped bundle to him. “Here is your son, Daniel,” the Kami told him. 

Sofu let go of his hand so that he could reach out and take the baby very carefully from D. Awe shone in in his gaze, as he stared down at a delicate little face capped with glossy black hair. The babe was just as Sofu had said, only about three pounds or so. Daniel could cup him in one hand, and he was glad he'd been warned about this beforehand. Otherwise, he would have been freaking out by now over how tiny his child was. As he watched, a pair of big eyes slid open. He gasped a little when he saw the color of these enormous orbs. Instead of being pure gold like his parent’s, or purple like his brother’s, the baby’s eyes were GOLDEN-BROWN. Amber, like his. “Oh, shit,” he said in amazement. “He has my eyes.”

Sofu chuckled breathily. “So he does.” The Kami remarked as he craned his head to look at his child. 

“The rest of him is definitely Kami, though,” Daniel noted, looking at the porcelain skin, rosebud mouth and glossy black hair. 

A tiny fist waved in the air as the baby squirmed in his grasp. “I think he’s hungry,” Daniel said. Then a startling thought came to him. “Uh, Sof, what does he eat…?”

A laugh. “Hand him to me please, Daniel,” Sofu took the child, running a finger down one porcelain cheek tenderly. Then he lifted the blanket away from his upper body one-handed, and to his amazement Daniel saw that his mate was now sporting very small breasts. As Sofu carefully guided his child to one nipple, he grinned at the expression on his human’s face. “They’ll go away again when he’s old enough to wean,” he explained as the baby began to suck eagerly.

Chun Lian and Lord D returned from their chores and gathered with D beside the bed. All of the Kamis were looking at the baby, rejoicing in this newest member of their very small (but getting larger all the time) family. As they watched their new relative feed, one-by-one they began to sing. Chun Lian started it, crooning in an ancient Chinese dialect. Lord D took up the refrain and then D. It was a song of welcoming, telling the new little spirit that they were grateful that he was here and that he would be loved and cherished forever. Daniel listened in awe, for although he didn’t understand the words he still knew what they were singing about. He reached out to take Sofu’s free hand once more, the two of them sharing an intense look between them. All of the love they felt for each other resonated through their mating bond, along with their joy over the birth of their infant son. 

 

 

Leon entered the shop with Jill at his heels. He paused to get his bearings, then led the way down the hall toward Sofu and Daniel’s room. He saw his brother and T-chan waiting outside the closed door, and just as he greeted the boys it swung open. D came through, his eyes lighting up when he saw his mate. “Leon, Jill,” he said to them. “Christopher and T-chan as well. All of you come inside and meet Maohkataatoyi D.”

Leon gaped at him. “What kind of name is that?” he demanded.

His mate laughed at him. “It’s a Blackfeet word meaning Fox,” he explained. “Grandfather told Daniel that he should name the baby something from his language. Daniel says we can call him Maoh for short, or even just Fox.” 

Leon shook his head as D stood back and waved them all into the room. “Stephen will be here shortly; I called him just now.” He said as the two boys went in, followed by the detectives. 

Inside, they saw that Sofu was sitting up in bed holding a cloth-wrapped bundle in his arms. Daniel was beside him, beaming like the proud papa he was. Lord D wasn’t in the room; he’d gone to the kitchen to make his father some fortifying herbal tea and also get him some sweets. Sofu would need the calories and carbohydrates after the energy he’d expended giving birth. Chun Lian was perched on the other side of the bed, and smiled in greeting at the people entering the room. “Hey, Granddad,” Leon said. “You all right?”

“Wonderful, Leon,” the Kami replied serenely. “Come and see the baby,” he said in amusement, seeing how spooked the blonde looked. D giggled as he took his mate’s arm and pulled Leon around the bed. The two boys were already there, round-eyed as they took in the tiny creature that Sofu was displaying for them. 

Jill peered around Leon’s tall form, her lips forming a silent “Aww,” when she saw the baby. 

Leon stared at the big eyes in the rather scrunched-up face as the baby gurgled to itself. “His eyes are the same color as yours,” he said to Daniel.

The other man nodded. “Yeah. That was a big surprise to me. Sof said he’d be pure Kami and I guess he is – except for the color of his eyes.” 

“Would you like to hold him, Leon?” Sofu said impishly. The gleam in his golden eyes said clearly that he was enjoying teasing the human detective.

“Uh no, that’s okay,” Leon said hurriedly. “Maybe later.”

Everybody laughed, as Sofu offered the baby to Jill instead. She was happy to take him, cradling the tiny creature expertly as Chris stood on tiptoe to see the baby better. Lord D entered the room with a loaded tea tray, greeting the new arrivals as he carried it toward the bed. He set the tray in Sofu’s lap carefully. His father smiled in gratitude up at him. “Thank you, my son. This looks wonderful,” he tucked into the food, watched in awe by his mate. It always amazed him anyway just how much a Kami could eat; but now that he’d just given birth, Sofu was consuming enough sweet stuff to keep half an elementary school happy. 

Jill was cooing to the baby, making faces at him. Leon was looking at her like she was an alien species while D giggled behind his hand at the expression on his mate’s face. Chris had taken one of the tiny hands and was looking at the fingernails, which were already long and dark. Chun Lian was talking to his father. There was the sound of chimes in the distance, then feet thudding in the hallway. Stephen erupted into the room with his usual energy, Buddy perched on his shoulder. His teal-blue eyes were alight. Lord D went to him, taking his hands. He led his mate over to where Jill was holding the baby, and she showed the tiny thing to the tall human. He stared at it in wonder, reaching out to very carefully touch the top of the glossy head. “Wow,” he breathed softly. “What a great little guy. Gorgeous.” Nobody contradicted him, as there was a general agreement that little Fox was, like every newborn, the most wonderful baby ever conceived in the history of the world. 

 

A/N:Adalie, Chun Lian doesn't mention his kidnapping to his family because he sees no reason to freak them out over what was basically nothing. He handled the situation quite neatly, and no harm was done.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stpehen and Lord D come to a life altering decision

“Hey, Daniel. Why Fox?” Leon’s voice spoke from somewhere near the SWAT Commander, who was still sitting on the bed next to his mate. 

“Huh?” the other man looked up at the blonde detective.

“Why call the kid Fox? I’m just curious,” Leon explained with a wave of his hand.

“Ah,” Daniel replied with a smile. “Well, it has to do with his eyes.”

“His eyes?” the blonde said in confusion. “What about them?”

Seeing that everyone in the room was now looking at him with interest, Daniel waved a hand at the baby now sleeping in Sofu’s arms. “It isn’t just that they look like mine. When I was a kid, I went out hunting on the Rez with my grandfather. We were in the mountains, and I saw a fox come out of a little copse. Being a city boy, it was the first time I’d ever seen one. She was so beautiful - and her eyes were almost the same color as mine. We just looked at each other, and then she flirted her tail and trotted off. My grandfather laughed, and told me that she was probably a spirit fox, come to guide me in some manner. I didn’t think much of what he said then, but when Sof said I should name the baby something from my language, the first thing I thought of were those big amber eyes looking at me. Not to mention the fact that Kamis and foxes have a lot in common.”

“How so?” asked Stephen, from where he was leaning against the back of a chair nearby. 

Daniel chuckled. “Well for one thing, foxes are strong and fierce for their size,” he said with a wink at his mate, who smiled at him. “And they may be predators, but they’re very beautiful. And they would do anything for their families, including fighting to the death to protect their kits. And I’ve always found them to be dainty and elegant-looking, just like certain spirits that I know,” his eyes ran over the Kamis in the room, as Stephen laughed. 

“I agree with you there,” the tall young human remarked. He reached out and touched the waist of his own mate, who was standing close to him. 

Leon said: “Well, that’s a pretty good explanation I guess. I just thought that you’d watched too many episodes of the X-Files.”

All of the humans in the room (with the exception of Chris) burst into laughter, while the Kamis looked puzzled. “X-Files? What are those?” Sofu asked Daniel.

He grinned, as he reached out to lightly touch his mate’s pointed chin. “It was a sci-fi television show. Appropriately enough, the channel it was on was called Fox,” he added in amusement. “And because it was one of the first shows on the fledging network, one of the main characters was named Fox Mulder. Leon was just implying that I’d named the baby after him, which I did not.”

“Oh,” Sofu said in understanding. “What was this show about?”

Daniel grinned. “It was about monsters, and aliens…and spirits too. Right up your alley, eh, Sof?”

The Kami rolled his eyes, but he was smiling at the same time. “I see. I like your reasoning for naming our son far better than if you’d just named him after a person from a ‘television show’. Thank you, Daniel. The name is very appropriate.”

“You’re welcome. Now, unfortunately, I have to get back to work. You and Maoh going to be okay until I get back home tonight?” he asked as he stood up.

Sofu nodded. “Both of us will probably sleep for most of the time that you’re gone, Daniel.” He yawned, and then shrugged ruefully. 

His mate bent over and kissed him. “Great. I’ll see you soon, and I’ll bring you something special to celebrate our little wonder, here,” he softly stroked the sleeping baby’s glossy cap of hair. 

Then he straightened up, as Leon said reluctantly: “Yeah, Jill and I have to get going, too. Congrats on the baby, both of you,” he added to Sofu and Daniel. 

Daniel grinned at him. “Your time will come, Leon,” he said, making the blonde grimace.

“Yeah, I’m only too aware of that fact,” he replied, making everybody laugh again.

Chun Lian took the baby from Sofu, and gently deposited him in his cradle. Sofu snuggled up under his covers to sleep, worn out from the birth and ready for a nap. D went to say goodbye to his mate and Jill, while Lord D and Stephen left the bedroom together. “Do you have to go as well, Stephen?” the Kami asked his mate rather wistfully.

Stephen shook his dyed-blue head. “Nope, D summoned me out of my last class of the day to tell me about the baby, and I hurried over here. No jobs today either,” he added, talking about his part-time landscaping job. “So what do YOU wanna do to celebrate the arrival of your baby brother, babe?” he asked with a randy gleam in his eyes. 

Lord D drew in a sharp breath. “I’m sure we’ll think of something,” he murmured, which made his tall mate laugh, as Stephen swept him off to their bedroom down the hall to begin their private celebration.

 

 

Later, lying together naked in their bed, their limbs entwined, Stephen spoke into Lord D’s ear. “Babe? Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Stephen,” the Kami replied, looking up into those honest teal-blue eyes questioningly.

“Are you jealous about Fox arriving? I don’t mean jealous of the baby,” he added hastily as Lord D looked surprised, “I mean, are you jealous of your dad getting to have a kid?”

The Kami blinked at him. “Why would I be jealous of father having another child? Especially when he’s my brother?”

Stephen’s face became grave. His hands stroked down Lord D’s naked back as he replied softly: “It’s just that you’re last pregnancy, with D…it was pretty bad, wasn’t it?”

Lord D tensed, his face showing his inner turmoil of emotions. Stephen’s hand curled around the back of his neck comfortingly. “Tell me about it,” he said. 

Lord D’s purple eyes dropped, and he stared at his mate’s chest as he said in a choked voice: “It was…terrible. To wake up in my bed after I escaped from that monster, and have my weeping father tell me that I was with child…I couldn’t even take it in at first. I wouldn’t believe it. Then I cried for a long time, and after that I retreated into my own mind. When Father suggested that I abort the baby, I felt such relief…but then Chun Lian came to our door, and pointed out to me that I was going to be killing a child that would be pure Kami, and to do that was to destroy something very precious – we Kami cherish each new life, for our folk are so few. I knew he was right, but carrying the baby was a thirteen-month reminder of what had happened to me. I could not love him, my poor little son. How could I? I could not divorce his existence from his creation,” Tears shimmered in Lord D’s eyes, and he buried his face in his mate’s chest.

“Shh, shhh. Nobody blames you for that, babe,” Stephen crooned. “Not even D. We all understand.”

“It’s just…I regret now that I couldn’t feel anything for him. That I couldn’t be a real parent to him. I missed out on so much…” the grief in Lord D’s voice smote Stephen to his heart. 

He set his chin atop the Kami’s glossy hair. “Well, you can’t go back and change things,” he said meditatively, “But there’s something else you could do.”

Lord D lifted a slightly wet face from his chest. “What?” he asked.

The tall human bent his head and began to kiss the tears off of his mate’s porcelain face. “You could have another baby,” he said softly, “A brother for D and Chun Lian. What do you say?”

The astonishment on Lord D’s face made him laugh. “But Stephen …” he began uncertainly.

A chuckle. “You’re worried that I might not be ready to be a dad,” the human remarked shrewdly, even as he began to run his hands all over Lord D’s lovely white skin.

A nod. Stephen smiled lazily as his thumbs found and gently stroked over the budded pink nipples on the Kami’s chest. Lord D gasped, writhing a bit on the bed. “I can handle it,” the young human purred, “Fox is so cute – I’d love one just like him. Although maybe he might have my eyes?” he asked hopefully. 

Lord D tried to think, which wasn’t easy when Stephen’s hands were making forays down his body. “We – we should discuss this, Stephen,” he managed to say.

His mate kissed the side of his neck. “What’s to discuss? Unless you don’t want a baby?” he asked, even as his fingers curled around the Kami’s reviving erection and stroked it. 

“I – ohh, would love to have your child, Stephen,” the Kami panted, his hips moving as he thrust himself into the human’s hand. 

“Well, that’s that, then.” Stephen remarked triumphantly. 

“But…” any objections he might have had were dribbling away, as Stephen skillfully worked him up with lips and tongue and fingers. 

“Don’t think, just feel,” the human urged him. “It’ll be okay, babe. You’ll see.” One of his fingers slipped into Lord D’s tight body, making his mate shudder in his arms. 

Stephen kissed him tenderly, and Lord D stopped caring about coming up with reasons why they shouldn’t have a baby. He wound his arms around Stephen’s neck, moaning into the mouth covering his as his mate slipped into his body slowly, easily, for the first time with no condom in the way. They moved together in perfect harmony, reveling in their mutual pleasure, gasping and crying out almost in tandem. Lord D came first, but only a fractional moment before Stephen’s seed spilled into him. He wailed breathlessly into his mate’s mouth, clutching at Stephen tightly as they both shuddered in acute bliss. 

“Well,” remarked the human when he could finally speak coherently again. “That was great.” His big hand reached down to cup Lord D’s belly. “Did it work?” he asked.

The Kami sent his mind down into his womb, feeling a rush of anticipation mixed with trepidation. After a moment’s silence, his eyes opened and looked into Stephen’s. “I am…not with child,” he said woefully, his purple gaze sliding away, as tears started up in them again. 

The human gathered his distraught mate up in his arms. “It's okay,” he said, rocking the Kami. “Really. Just because your dad got pregnant the first time with Daniel, doesn’t mean it’s always that way. Right?”

Lord D bit at his lip. “I do not know. While the mating bond heightens the chances of conception, I suppose that it is possible not to get pregnant the first time…”

“There. No problem. We’ll just have to keep trying,” Stephen remarked comfortingly. 

“Yes,” Lord D replied, sounding uncertain. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to do that, especially if nothing came of it. It would break his heart if he were barren. Would that be his punishment for not loving his son? 

“Babe,” Stephen said gently, lifting his chin. “Go and talk to your dad, okay? Don’t wig out here until you’ve talked to him. Go on, I’ll wait here,” he urged his mate out of bed, and Lord D pulled on a robe before leaving their room. Stephen was right; Sofu’s wisdom would be helpful right now, as would his father’s unconditional love for him. He knew that Sofu needed his sleep, but he was in such turmoil…

He knocked softly at the door of his father’s room and then slipped in. Fox was still asleep in his cradle, but Sofu’s golden eyes had opened the moment someone had entered the room. “My son?” he said, sitting up. “What’s the matter?” he asked, sensing his offspring’s inner turmoil unerringly.

“Father? May I talk to you? I really need your counsel,” Lord D said.

“Of course. Come and sit down here,” Sofu patted the bed beside him. “Maoh will need to be fed again soon, anyway. What is it?” he asked keenly as the other Kami seated himself beside his parent.

Lord D explained in a trembling voice what had happened between himself and Stephen, and the fact that he was not pregnant, in spite of the fact that they hadn’t used birth control. Sofu listened in rising concern, and when his son was done he remarked thoughtfully: “I believe that I may be able to explain this, my son,” Lord D looked at him hopefully, his heart in his eyes. Sofu touched his hand reassuringly.

“For we Kami,” Sofu began, “Conception is as much mental as physical. In other words, for you to get pregnant you would literally have to be in the right state of mind. While Daniel and I hadn’t exactly talked about having children, I was amenable to the whole idea. So when our birth control failed, it wasn’t surprising that I got pregnant right away. But you, my son, rightly have some doubts about having another child. In your mind, you remember how it was before your youngest son was born – and you instinctively fear that you would be that kind of parent again, should you have another baby. While logically and reasonably you know that this is not true, that you would love and adore a child by your beloved mate, there are parts of your mind that do not deal in logic and reason. And it is those parts that are preventing you from conceiving.” 

Lord D stared at his father as he mulled over this explanation. “Perhaps you are right, Father,” he began slowly. “But how can I overcome these fears? Since they don’t respond to logic and reason…”

Sofu considered this. “Perhaps you could think about what it would be like if you were carrying Stephen’s child, that might help,” he said. 

Lord D closed his eyes and tried to do what his father had suggested. He thought about looking into his womb and Seeing a new life there, a spark like his brother had been when Sofu was first pregnant. That tiny bit of life would be he and Stephen’s together, a child conceived in love and joy, instead of hatred and pain. He could imagine himself growing round, his belly getting bigger as that life grew within him. And he could envision what the babe might look like – a tiny being much like little Fox, that he could cradle in his arms and feed at his breast. His heart responded to these visions, and he yearned after what he saw with his whole being. 

Sofu saw his son smile and felt great satisfaction. “Know that what you see is the truth, my son, and that it is your fears that are the lie,” he said softly. 

Those purple eyes slid open, and Lord D have his parent a grateful look. “Thank you, Father.” He got to his feet. “I’ll go and talk to Stephen now,” he said.

“An excellent idea,” Sofu replied, watching his son leave the room. Then he slowly got out of bed and went over to the cradle to look at his own precious new son, thinking to himself that he might have a new grandson, as well, in a little over a year. As far as Sofu D was concerned, his cup was overflowing right at the moment.

 

 

Lord D reentered their room to find Stephen waiting for him. The human looked up hopefully. “What’d he say?” Stephen asked eagerly.

The Kami came over to the bed slowly. “He said that for we Kami, conceiving was as much in the mind as in the body,” Lord D explained, “And that I might still be harboring irrational fears because of how I responded to my youngest son’s conception and birth. That I most likely feared that I would be that way again, in spite of the fact that it was you and I having a child, and one born out of love. He said that these fears could greatly affect my chances for conception.”

“Huh, I could see that,” Stephen said, urging his mate to sit down beside him. He put his arm around the Kami’s narrow shoulders. “But I know that you’d make the best parent ever, babe,” he said confidentially. “I’m not worried at all.”

Lord D leaned against him, taking comfort from his mate’s warmth and also Stephen’s unswerving love for him. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I will try to believe that, as well. For I find myself wishing to carry your child more and more, Stephen.”

“Well, practice makes perfect,” the human noted. “Speaking of that,” he went on with a leer, “Wanna get in some practice at baby-making right now? If at first you don’t succeed…” he said with a laugh as he pulled Lord D down on the bed and began to strip his robe from him.

Lord D found himself laughing. “You are very silly, Stephen,” he told his mate affectionately. The human only grinned, just before he covered the Kami’s sweet mouth with his own. 

 

 

Much later, Lord D rested in Stephen’s arms. The human had fallen asleep, snoring lightly, worn out from the repeated and vigorous bouts of sex they’d indulged in. The Kami rested his head on his mate’s shoulder as he let his hand move to his abdomen. He didn’t want to look – he didn’t really want to be disappointed again. But he also felt a compulsion to check, and he couldn’t stop himself. He let a tendril of energy curl into his womb, bracing himself for the inevitable. But there – just there – a tiny spark no bigger than the head of a pin…he gasped, silently, his whole body trembling as he registered the truth. He was pregnant. He was going to have Stephen’s child. Tears began to track down his face, but they were tears of joy this time. He wanted to shake Stephen awake, but decided to let his mate rest for now. Time enough to tell his human the good news when he woke up. For now, Lord D lay cuddled up against Stephen’s side and simply Looked at the life within him, as though he feared it would go away if he removed his probe.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lord D is oregnant and happy, Stephen's over the moon, and Chun Lian has another run in with Kazuhari Seiichi.

Lord D wandered out into the shop, still in a rather blissful state of mind. His sons greeted him, for D was stocking shelves and Chun Lian was preparing to go on another shopping expedition. Sofu would require a good deal of food now that he was nursing, on top of their normal food purchases. The older Kami smiled at his offspring, and D straightened up from his task to stare at his parent. There was something about the other Kami’s aura…when he realized what it was, he gasped. “Father!” he exclaimed. “You are…”

Lord D nodded in a silent affirmative, as Chun Lian shot his brother a surprised look. “What is it?” he asked, cocking his head. 

D replied: “Look at his energy, brother, and you’ll see,” Chun Lian turned to glance at his father, and it didn’t take him long to see what his sibling had first. 

“Ah,” he said. “Well, well. It seems that you and young Stephen decided that one baby around here wasn’t quite enough, Father?”

Lord D looked rather sheepish, but there was pleasure in his face as well. “Stephen talked me into it,” he explained, making Chun Lian laugh softly. 

“A persuasive human. Hmm, as long as you’re happy, I shan’t complain about getting another sibling. Now you won’t be the youngest anymore,” he said to D.

D smiled at him. “That’s fine,” he replied. Then he shook his head. “But I always imagined that Leon and I would be next. Of course, that was before Father bonded with Stephen, since we want to take our time. I’m too young to want to have a baby yet. And Leon is not quite resigned to the whole idea anyway. But I believe a few years with little Fox, and now my baby brother, will change his mind.” 

Chun Lian chuckled. “Probably,” he remarked. He picked up the basket off the counter. “It seems I should purchase even more food now that Father has a whole new life to feed, as well as himself.” He shook his glossy head in bemusement. “Better you than I anyway, Father,” he remarked to his parent drolly.

Lord D looked at him in surprise. “What do you mean? Don’t you want a child, my son?”

“Not really,” Chun Lian replied calmly, putting the basket over his arm. “Neither from my body or someone else’s. I don’t particularly care for children.”

Now both D and Lord D were staring at him in startlement. “But you’re so good with children!” the older Kami exclaimed.

“Being good with them and liking them are two very different things, Father,” Chun Lian pointed out as he walked toward the door of the shop. “Children are wonderful – when they’re somebody else’s.” he added in amusement, pushing through the door while his relatives stared after him in astonishment.

 

 

“I didn’t know that he felt that way,” Lord D said into the silence. 

“Nor did I,” D remarked. “He’s always been somewhat solitary, but…” 

Before they could discuss this revelation about their relative further, Stephen wandered out into the shop. He rubbed at his blue head as he greeted the two Kamis. “Hey, babe,” he said, putting an affectionate arm around Lord D’s waist. “Did you sleep well?”

“Actually, Stephen, I didn’t sleep at all,” the Kami said, looking up at his mate with shining purple eyes. “I have something to tell you,” he added.

Being perceptive, the young human caught on right away. “It worked, didn’t it?” he asked eagerly. Lord D nodded, and Stephen let out a war whoop of victory as he twirled his mate up into the air and around in a circle. 

“Stephen!” Lord D gasped, even as he laughed a little. His mate’s excitement coursed through him, making his joy in the conception of their child deepen even further. D smiled at both of them, as Stephen lowered the slender being so that he could kiss Lord D’s smiling red mouth.

“Guess I won’t be able to call you ‘babe’ much longer, will I?” he said when they parted at last. He set Lord D on his feet and then placed a hand on his abdomen. “Cause soon there’ll be a real babe in here,” he patted the silk, making the Kami shake his head. 

“Silly man,” he chided affectionately. “I worry what you’ll teach our child.”

Stephen grinned. “I’ll teach him all about the stars and atoms and how to plant a good hedge,” he said with a wink. “And you can teach him about the birds and the bees. Literally.”

D burst into laughter, as Lord D rolled his eyes a bit in feigned exasperation. “I may have made a huge mistake,” he remarked to no one. 

“Hah. You made a huge mistake the day you went for that first walk with me," Stephen pointed out. “From then on you were doomed.”

“Doomed?” Lord D repeated, his lips quivering. 

The blue head nodded. “Uh-huh. I knew you’d give in to my charm. How could you not?” the young human replied with a twinkle in his teal-blue eyes. 

“I see,” unable to help himself, the Kami burst into laughter. It was a light sound, and it made Stephen happy to hear it. When he’d first met Lord D, the lovely creature had had a permanent scowl tattooed on his face. It was nice to be able to get him to laugh so heartily, because it represented a victory hard won against the demons and the bad memories alike that both still haunted the Kami. He would never give up until he’d coaxed the splendid creature inside of Lord D completely out of hiding, bringing him out from behind those walls he’d thrown up to protect himself. That was one of Stephen’s goals in life – that and to win the Nobel prize for Physics. Of course, now he had a third – to be the best father possible to the tiny life inside of his mate. 

He grabbed a hold of Lord D’s hand. “Please excuse us,” he said to D before he dragged his mate off in the general direction of their room once more. Now that the deed was done, it was time to celebrate in the best way possible. 

D watched them go with a small smile on his face. He was genuinely pleased for his parent, for Lord D had been glowing in more ways than one. He was obviously ecstatic to be carrying Stephen’s child, and the human was like a kid in a toy shop. Not that he wasn’t like that a good deal of the time, anyway…D hummed to himself as he went back to stocking the shelves, thinking that this had been a very good day, so far, indeed. 

 

 

Chun Lian was in the market, buying fresh vegetables, his back turned to the street. So he didn’t see a black car pull up to the curb. “There he is,” a voice remarked within it.

A deeper voice replied: “Yes, I can see that. I wish to have a conversation with him. Follow us until I’m ready to leave.”

There was a murmur of agreement, then the door swung open and a powerful-looking Japanese man in a dark suit climbed out of the car, and began to stride over toward the preoccupied Kami. He came up behind the slim being - and people melted out of his way hurriedly. Chun Lian felt the presence of a slightly familiar aura, and straightened up as he said calmly: “Good day, Kazuhari-san. How may I help you?”

“I wish to speak with you, Mr. Chun Lian,” rumbled the yakuza boss coolly. 

The Kami turned to look at him. He had to raise his gold-rimmed eyes to meet those pewter ones. “And if I do not wish to speak with you?” he asked. 

“I am not exactly giving you a choice," the Japanese man replied. “Either you speak to me willingly, or I’m afraid I will have to insist," his hand made a slight movement toward the interior of his suit jacket. 

“Aah," Chun Lian looked more amused than frightened, since he was both very quick and very strong. He could get away from the armed yakuza boss at any time that he wished. But he was curious to find out what it was that Kazuhari Seiichi wished to talk to him about. “Well, then, I will speak to you willingly. If you’ll walk with me,” he added. “I still have some things to purchase.”

The yakuza boss hesitated slightly, but then shrugged. He fell into step beside the lovely Chinese man, and they were both silent for a moment as Chun Lian strolled along the sidewalk. Then that deep voice rasped: “What are you, exactly?”

Those purple eyes, edged with pure liquid gold, slid his way. “What do you mean?” Chun Lian asked innocently.

An austere frown. “Please do not play games with me,” Kazuhari Seiichi growled. “There is something…strange about you. Not just your alien beauty…but something else. I can’t quite put my finger on it,” he continued. “But I will, eventually, even if you do not tell me yourself.”

The Kami lifted his brows. “I’m surprised that you have the time to bother yourself with me,” he said in his musical voice. “After all, aren’t you busy with that Chinese woman Li Yan Chang?” 

A scowl passed over the yakuza boss’s face at this open mention of the woman that he’d kidnapped. He glanced around them, and then turned his eyes to Chun Lian once more. “You are bold,” he hissed. “But not particularly smart. It is not wise to mention my business aloud. I do not like it,” he went on harshly.

“Do forgive me,” Chun Lian replied, still sounding amused. “I am most humbly sorry,” he bowed slightly, making Kazuhari’s eyes narrow even further. His nostrils flared, and he gritted his teeth tightly together. This man’s impudence was infuriating to him. 

“I will be having my men follow you wherever you go from now on,” Kazuhari growled softly. “I will know everything you do, everywhere you go, and all the people you speak to. Eventually I will know your secrets, Chun Lian.”

“Will you?” the Kami asked with interest. He paused before a stand selling fresh fruit and began to pick over the offerings, completely ignoring a fuming Kazuhari Seiichi. He glared at the slender form, encased in a silky cheongsam of deep blue and silver. His long hair fell down his back, a glossy mane that attracted the attention of those pewter eyes. The yakuza boss had a sudden urge to bury his fingers in that glossy stuff, and had to curl his fingers into his palms to stop himself. He was infuriated that he was so drawn to this peculiar man, who laughed so openly at him. 

Chun Lian finally finished making his purchases at the stall, then turned back to the angry yakuza boss. It rather delighted him to tease and torment this human. It was a fun game, and took his mind off of worrying about the shou ying and when it would kill next. The man was like a bull run into a thorn thicket, thrashing desperately to get out. “We go on,” he said with a nod down the sidewalk, “If you’ll come with me.”

Kazuhari fell into step beside him once more, but was silent for a moment. Then he sighed. “I am a fool,” he remarked to the air. When the Kami gave him a questioning look, he lifted his broad shoulders in a slight shrug. “I have my own business here, and I don’t really have time to bother with you,” he said in a certain amount of self-disgust. “But I find myself intrigued by you for some reason, and it is making me do things I would not normally do. I think I should exorcise whatever hold you have over me. If I can,” he went on ruefully.

Chun Lian shot him a smiling sideways look. “I did not bewitch you, I assure you Kazuhari-san,” he replied. 

“Didn’t you?” the yakuza boss asked, looking down at him. “Perhaps not intentionally, but there is something about you…” he shook his head. “All of my instincts tell me that you are not what you seem. My curiosity has gotten the better of me.”

Chun Lian chuckled. “Understandable. Hmm, so if I tell you how I am different your curiosity will be satisfied and you will find something else to obsess about?” he asked in a teasing tone of voice.

Kazuhari gave him a sharp look, but nodded. “Very well then. My folk are spirits, not human at all. We are called Kami.”

“KAMI?!” the yakuza boss forgot himself so much that he actually shouted this word. Then he lowered his voice as he hissed: “You are trying to tell me that you are a God?” 

Chun Lian shook his head. “No, although it would be amusing to do so. What your people know as ‘little gods’ are my kind. The Japanese do tend to take in much from other cultures, most especially the Chinese. And my folk primarily lived on mainland China for a very long time, although we have been all over the world tending to our duties.”

“Duties?” the yakuza boss asked curiously, although he was still trying to take in the fact that this beautiful creature claimed to be a Kami. 

“Yes, we have a duty to the Earth and all the creatures that live on her. We are nature spirits, attuned to living things and their care.”

“I see,” that deep voice rumbled thoughtfully. “Our Kami have always been nature spirits, as well. Strange to actually meet someone who claims to be one of those spirits. But how can I be sure that you are telling me the truth?”

“You can’t,” Chun Lian replied simply. “But I don’t have to try to prove my claim, do I? I am simply telling you what I am and why I seem strange to you. That is all.”

A long sigh of breath. “Actually, I believe you. It makes sense to me. You are a Kami. Tell me, Kami-sama, what are you doing in Los Angeles?”

“Visiting my family,” Chun Lian replied promptly. At the human’s look of surprise, he laughed. “Do you think that spirits do not have family? I assure you that that is not true. Some of my close relatives live here in Chinatown. It has been some time since I last saw them, and I missed them. So I came for a visit.”

“Huh,” Kazuhari considered this. “You are a very strange sort of spirit, indeed. But quite stunning,” he added, a note of admiration in his deep voice. 

Chun Lian shot him another sideways look. He could hear the thread of interest and desire in the yakuza boss’s voice, which was surprising in some ways considering the fact that the Japanese man believe him when he said that he was a Kami. He felt an answering echo of desire within himself, which rather took him aback. It wasn’t that he hadn’t had human lovers before - and he’d preferred males because they couldn’t get pregnant. He’d meant what he’d said to his brother and father earlier about not wishing to have children of his own. But this man was not his usual type at all. He liked ukes normally, pretty boys who didn’t mind that the seme was a beautiful male who looked rather feminine. Kazuhari was too powerful, too masculine, and far too much a seme for his tastes. Interesting. He would have to think about this. 

“Since you’ve discovered what you wanted to know, shouldn’t you be going?” he said to Kazuhari.

“Of course,” the yakuza boss said. “But I shall see you again, Chun Lian. You can count on that,” he said, before he turned and walked away toward the black car waiting for him at the curb.


	8. Chapter 8

“Wow, it’s been a pretty exciting day so far,” Jill remarked as they drove through the late afternoon traffic. Leon glanced at her with a wry grin. 

“You can say that again,” he replied. “How many people can say that the guy they call ‘Granddad’ just gave birth to a kid?”

Jill giggled. “Not too many, I’d bet,” she said merrily. “But little Fox is just adorable. Did you see those big eyes?” she sounded rather dreamy, which made her partner give her a freaked-out look. 

'Women and their biological clocks,' the blonde thought with a shake of his head. 'Even the toughest of them sees a baby and turns to mush. Scary.'

Before he could reply, the radio crackled. Dispatch called in a body a few blocks from where they were, and Leon replied that they were on their way. He turned left at the corner and put on a touch of speed, although since the vic was a corpse already there was no great hurry. The body was in a scrubby field next to some shabby apartment buildings, and lay face up in the weeds. A black-and-white was already at the scene, preventing the gawkers gathered on the sidewalk from approaching to get a better look. The two detectives picked their way through the weeds, Jill being careful of her high heels. 

“What’ve we got?” Leon asked, flashing his badge as he approached the cop standing guard over the body itself.

“Some guy - looks like he might have been a jogger. Not a mark on him – I thought he might have had a heart attack at first,” the cop replied with a nod at the copse. “But then I saw his face – man, he looks like he was scared to death.”

Leon felt the hairs trying to stand up on the back of his neck, as Jill gasped beside him. The blonde knelt down swiftly next to the dead man, seeing a face contorted just like that of the corpse in the warehouse a few weeks ago. This might be a shou ying kill – he had to get the Kamis out here to look at the scene while it was still fresh. He just had to come up with a good excuse for why he was letting the beautiful ‘Chinese women’ loose on a crime scene. He started to turn to Jill, to confer with her about what they should do. But he saw a man striding toward them across the field, and groaned in the back of his throat when he saw that it was the upright figure of FBI agent Garrett Cooper. Oh man, what we HE doing here? This was all they needed.

He heard a sound like a growl, and apprehension rose up in him. He looked up at his partner, and the hostility in the stare she was directing at the FBI guy did not bode well for this situation. He still didn’t know what it was about her and the federals; all he knew was that the shit was about to hit the fan. He cursed inside his head, as he lunged to his feet to try to both corral his partner and try to defuse the situation. The last thing they needed was a fight between a homicide detective and an FBI agent, especially when he needed this to stay low-profile so that nobody asked too many questions when he brought in ‘consultants’ from Chinatown to look at the body.

“Agent Cooper,” he said loudly. “What a pleasant surprise. What brings you to yet another of our crime scenes?” 

The tall man frowned slightly at him. “Detective Orcot. I’m not here for kicks, believe me. I just came to check and see if this body is another of ours. Considering that he seems to have died in the exact same way as the last one, I can’t afford not to.”

“Be my guest,” Leon said, stepping aside from the body. He walked over to a glowering Jill and touched her arm.

“Hey, Jill, don’t cause trouble,” he hissed to her. “This may be a shou ying kill – and a fresh one too. We need the Kamis to look at it, but we won’t be able to do that if you piss off an FBI agent so much, that he takes this case away from us out of spite. So calm down, take deep breaths, and focus.”

His words seemed to help, for she visibly got control of herself. “Sorry, Leon, I really just don’t like federals,” she said softly. “But you’re right. The guys can’t do their mojo if we can’t get them out here. So, I’ll make nice with him while he’s here.”

“That’s my girl,” he said with a grin.

She shook her head wryly. “I only wish,” she remarked. “But you prefer petty male spirits to me. How come all the good ones are taken already?”

His grin widened. “Thanks for calling me a good one,” he said.

She snorted. “Well, semi-good anyway. Looks like he’s done,” she added half under her breath, and he turned to see that the FBI agent was rising to his feet with a thoughtful frown on his face. He turned and walked toward them.

“Not one of yours?” Leon asked him. 

A negative shake of the close-cropped head. “No. I don’t know him. Sorry to have disturbed your crime scene,” he went on dryly with a glance at Jill. Clearly he had seen and accurately read her hostility, both here and at the other crime scene in the warehouse as well. “Detectives,” he went on with a nod.

He started to turn away and leave, and Jill touched Leon’s arm. “I’ll be right back,” she said, and to his surprise went after the FBI agent. But now was his chance to get a hold of the Kamis, so he didn’t stand around and watch his partner talk to Agent Cooper. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and called the shop.

Chun Lian’s voice answered the phone. Odd, the detective mused to himself, that he could now distinguish one of the Kamis from the other just by their voices. Of course he’d know his mate’s voice anywhere; but he could now separate out Lord D, Chun Lian, and Sofu as well. Even though their voices sounded similar, there were differences in the cadences and intonations. “Hey, Chun Lian, this is Leon. We got another body that might be a shou ying kill. But this one is fresh – so I’ll have Jill stay here, while I come over and get you guys so you can do a reading on the body. Plus, it’s in a field, not on concrete this time.”

“Ahh. We’ll be waiting, Leon. But my brother will be coming with us, not my father this time.”

Leon felt a chill go down his spine to hear that his mate was coming along on this trip. Not that he didn’t liked Chun Lian and Lord D, but neither of THEM was his bonded mate… “Why? Why is D coming?” he asked tightly.

A wry laugh. “I’m afraid that we have no choice in the matter, Leon. Father cannot come along on this hunt in his condition...and besides, he and Stephen are ‘resting’ together.”

“His condition? What do you mean?” the detective asked in bafflement. 

“Father is with child, Leon.” 

“What?! When did that happen?!” the blonde yelped, making everyone stare at him. 

“Just this afternoon. He and Stephen made a decision to have a child together, and as you know it is very easy for a mated pair to create a new life once that decision is made.”

“Ohh,” Leon felt like scratching his head. “Ookkaayy. So you and D be ready when I arrive in about half an hour.”

“We will be ready,” Chun Lian reassured him. “Please don’t worry about your mate, Leon,” he continued soothingly. “My brother is a very capable and strong person.”

“I know that,” Leon replied grimly. “See you in a bit,” he hung up the phone with an internal sigh at himself. He was aware that his lovely D was very strong, could take care of himself, and was a fairly powerful magic user, to boot. But he just worried. His protective instincts were at full bore, however, so it wasn’t going to be easy for him to just step back and let his mate do what needed to be done.

He turned to see that Jill was still talking the FBI agent. She didn’t look tense or irritated anymore, he was glad to see. And Agent Copper was listening to whatever she was saying with a small smile on his face. At last he said something himself, and pulled a notebook out of his pocket. He wrote something on it and handed it to her, then turned away to his car at last. Jill tucked the piece of paper into her dress somewhere; he had no idea where on that miniscule thing. Then she started back toward her partner. “What was that about?” he asked her.

She shrugged. “Nothing much, just making nice,” she replied. “So what’s the plan?” 

“I’m gonna go pick up D and Chun Lian, and bring them back here so that they can do a reading on the area,” Leon replied, “So could you babysit the corpse til we get back?”

“You got it,” she said, “Hurry up and get the boys here, before the coroner hauls the body off. We’ll make up some story later about why we brought them in to look it over,” she went over to talk to the cop standing by the body, while Leon raced over to their car and drove quickly away toward Chinatown.

 

 

Chun Lian and D were waiting of him on the sidewalk outside of the shop. The moment he stopped the car the two Kami got in, and he screeched away from the curb. “The body is just like the last one,” Leon told them without preamble, “His face has the exact same expression on it, like he was scared to death. And it’s in a field this time, so you guys can get a better reading off of it.”

“I would say ‘good’, Leon, but since this may well be a shou ying kill that would not be the correct word to use,” Chun Lian said from the backseat. “Let us hope that we can find a trail that will lead us to the shou ying.”

“Yeah,” the detective agreed.

He felt a pair of eyes on him, and turned his head to see his mate glancing at him in concern. “What is the matter, Leon?” the Kami asked him softly. 

He sighed. “Nothing, honey,” he replied. “I just…” he shrugged slightly, “I don’t like you going into this situation. I know it’s irrational, that you’re stronger and faster than I am, and that you can fight too. I just can’t help but worry, that’s all.”

A hand touched his knee gently. “I understand, Leon. But please remember that I have to watch you go out the door to do a dangerous job every day. I do not protest because you love what you do, and you would be unhappy if I made you stop because of my concern about your safety, but it is not always easy for me.”

Leon glanced at him. “I never thought about that,” he said ruefully. “I’m sorry, D.”

The Kami smiled at him. “It's fine, Leon. I simply explained that so you would know that I do understand what you’re feeling right at this moment. But as my fears for you have never stopped you from doing your job, you should not let yours stop me from doing mine.”

Leon accepted this, knowing that his mate was right. If D could let him out the door every day, even knowing that he night be going into danger, how could he not let the Kami do what he needed to do? Especially considering how dangerous this shou ying thing was. He concentrated on his driving, and worked at suppressing his fears as best he could. While he wasn’t totally successful, at least he wasn’t jumping out of his skin by the time they arrived at the crime scene. 

The Kamis exited the vehicle, and Leon led them over to where Jill was standing guard over the body. She lifted a hand in greeting to the Kamis. “Hey, D, Chun Lian,” she said. “Long time, no see,” she added teasingly, making both of the spirits smile at her in return. 

“How’s the baby?” she asked.

“Well. Grandfather was feeding him again when we left,” Chun Lian replied. “And from the enthusiasm that he was displaying, Maoh is extremely healthy.”

She laughed. “That’s good. This isn’t quite as good,” she added, waving a hand at the body on the ground at her feet. 

“Indeed.” Chun Lian knelt next to the corpse, while D moved to the other side. They spread their hands over the body, beginning to take a reading from it. Jill glanced nervously at the cops, who had retreated to the sidewalk but were staring curiously at the Chinese women in long dresses kneeling on either side of the corpse. 

“This should be fun explaining later on,” she said under her breath to Leon. 

He nodded, hoping the Kamis wouldn’t take too long. Through his bond with D. he could feel some of the magic that the Kami was using. It felt heavy, and the air itself seemed to be thickening around the body. Suddenly. Chun Lian made a small sound in the back of his throat. “It is a shou ying kill,” he said in a voice that sounded rather thick. “Most definitely. The creature’s physic print is all over this corpse. Her track leads off…” his voice trailed away, “That way,” he pointed in a southerly direction. He got slowly to his feet, as D rose up on the other side of the body as well. “We will try to follow it.”

“I’m going with you,” Leon said sharply. “Can you take care of this, Jill?” he asked his partner.

She nodded. “Of course. Get going, guys.”

Chun Lian and D moved swiftly away across the field, with Leon at their heels. He pulled his gun from its holster and held it against his thigh out of sight. The two Kamis made straight for the sidewalk, both of them with their eyes set on some trail that was visible only to them. They hesitated for a moment at the man-made stuff, then turned a bit to the southeast, and walked somewhat more slowly into the street. The detective kept pace with them, his eyes scanning the road in both directions. He didn’t want his mate or Chun Lian to get hit by a car while they were busy sniffing out this shou ying thing’s trail. They went down a small side street, drifting along like two extremely beautiful bloodhounds on the track of a supernatural rabbit.

They arrived at a storm drain, and Chun Lian knelt down next to it. He put out his hands, and to Leon’s shock he pulled the metal grating away with ease. Sometimes, the blonde thought in amazement, he forgot just how strong these delicate-looking creatures were. D stuck his head close to the hole, but after a moment he gave forth a frustrated sigh as he sat back on his heels. “The water is obscuring the scent,” he said. “As the creature must have known. She must be aware that you were on her heels when she arrived here, brother,” he said, looking at Chun Lian. “She is one step ahead of us. What shall we do next?”

Chun Lian growled softly, his gold-rimmed eyes full of anger. “We must find a way to discover her whereabouts without waiting for her next kill, since she’s obscuring her track so well. I think it is time,” he added ominously, “To call in some outside help.” 

 

A/N: Oo. Outside help. Anybody want to know what that means? Comment if you do! -DL


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chun Lian's mysterious 'outside help' arrives...

Chun Lian refused to elaborate about what he meant, telling Leon simply that he would understand when the help that he intended to recruit arrived in L.A. “When will that be?” the blonde asked irritably as he drove the Kamis home. 

“Very soon, Leon,” D said soothingly. His mate grunted in annoyance, not liking being kept in the dark. D and his brother exchanged amused looks, as the human detective was acting like a little boy who’d tried to discover what he was getting for Christmas, and had been rebuffed in his efforts. 

Leon pulled up outside the shop. “I’ll be home in about an hour,” he told D shortly. 

The Kami nodded, then reached across the seat and took his hand. “I’m sorry, Leon,” he said softly, “But it is better if you see this person before we try to explain him to you. It will be easier and quicker to make any explanations then."

Looking into those beloved parti-colored eyes, the blonde sighed. “All right,” he said. He leaned over to gently kiss those sweet red lips. “I’ll see you in a bit,” he added as Chun Lian and D exited his car.

 

 

D lifted a hand as his mate drove off. Chun Lian was already making for the pet shop, hurrying inside. He made for the hallway quickly, wanting to get the call out as soon as possible. He knocked on the door of his grandfather’s room, and Sofu called from within: “Come in.”

The Kami pushed the door open, finding his grandfather sitting in a comfortable chair by the bed, feeding his newborn son. His slender fingers were stroking Fox’s tiny head, as the baby suckled at his small breast. The golden eyes lifted to Chun Lian’s face, and concern flashed through them when Sofu saw his expression. “What is it, child?” he asked quietly.

Chun Lian told him about what had happened at the murder scene, and that the shou ying knew that he was in L.A. to track him down. “So we need help, Grandfather,” he added. “And I need you to make the call. That kind of spell has never been my specialty – and he’s your friend, anyway.”

Sofu nodded. He pulled Maou away from the nipple, the baby squirming half-heartedly but clearly done. He handed his child to Chun Lian, as he got to his feet. "Put him down if you would, child,” he said as he left the room. 

Chun Lian put his new uncle in the cradle, pulling the blankets over the baby’s tiny form. Fox almost immediately fell asleep, now that he was sated and full of milk. The Kami watched over him until Sofu came back into the room. “I sent out the message,” he said. “He’s on his way. He should be here in a day or two at most, since he was only on the East Coast.”

His grandson looked relieved. “Thank you, Grandfather,” he said as he rose to his feet. 

Sofu shook his head. “I only hope that he can help us, child. Time is running out – if the shou ying gives birth, it will be very much harder for us to find and destroy all of them.”

Chun Lian looked grim. “I know,” he replied. “I know.”

 

 

Daniel came home soon afterward, with a box of very expensive chocolates tucked under one arm for his mate. He went immediately to their room, finding Sofu just waking up form another nap. The SWAT Commander went over to kiss the still rather groggy Kami tenderly. “Hey, sweetheart, how are you?” he asked.

“Wonderful, Daniel,” the Kami replied. “Just a bit tired, still.”

Daniel nodded, going over to the cradle to look at his new son once again. “God, he’s cute,” he remarked in awe. “I still can’t believe that he’s ours.”

Sofu climbed out of bed and came over to snuggle up to his side. “I can, since my body is still sore from giving birth to him,” he touched his stomach with a wry smile. 

Daniel chuckled, before kissing him. “Well, you did a good job,” he said when they pulled apart at last. “And here’s a treat for you,” he held out the box, which Sofu took eagerly. The golden eyes lit up when he saw that it was an assortment of imported dark chocolates. 

“Thank you, Daniel,” he said to his mate, who smiled at his expression. The Kami’s fingers tore at the ribbon around the box, using his nails to get it open more quickly. 

Once he had it open, Sofu picked out a chocolate-covered truffle, and ate it swiftly but daintily. A look of pure bliss passed over his face, and he went for an almond one next. Daniel just shook his head, as he watched his mate devour about a quarter of the box in one sitting. “Man, it’s a good thing I don’t really like chocolate,” he commented to the air, “Or I’d be losing fingers trying to snag a piece.”

Sofu looked up at him, and then grimaced. “I can’t help it,” he replied. “My body craves these kinds of foods right now, to give me back the energy I used having Maoh.”

Daniel grinned at him. “I know that, I was just teasing you. Eat all you need, they’re all for you. I’ll get everybody else something different.”

Sofu looked happy to hear that the chocolates were all his. “You should get my son something as rich as possible,” he commented as he nibbled at a caramel and pecan piece. 

“Why?” Daniel asked curiously.

“He is now with child by Stephen,” the Kami replied promptly.

His mate’s mouth fell open a little. “What? Since when?”

“Since earlier this afternoon. Stephen talked him into becoming pregnant, and they’re both so happy right now that it makes my heart glad just to see them. Especially my son; he’s practically glowing.”

Daniel blew out a breath. “Well, that’s great news. So Maoh will have somebody to play with growing up.” he looked down at his sleeping son again.

“Yes. And only a year or so apart in age. Never mind that Fox will be his uncle,” Sofu said with a soft laugh. 

“So it’s been a good day all around,” Daniel mused.

His mate’s voice had become serious when he replied: “Not entirely, Daniel,” Sofu told his human all about the shou ying murder, and the fact that they were calling in outside help to track the creature down. 

He listened soberly, his mouth grim. “Well, hell,” he said when the Kami was done. “I hope this guy, whoever is he is, can do the job.”

“I believe he can,” Sofu replied. “But we can only wait and see.”

 

 

In spite of their worries over the shou ying, the Kamis were all in a fairly good mood the next day. How could they not be? Their small number had grown with the birth of Maoh, and now Lord D was going to have a baby, as well. Leon exited the shop hurriedly that morning when he saw his mate cooing over Fox; he was afraid that his mate would get ideas, and start feeling yearnings, if he was around the baby too much. And his little brother was even betraying him; the boy had asked him at breakfast when he and D were going to have a baby. The Kamis had all looked at the blonde detective when the boy asked this, causing Leon to choke on a bite of scrambled egg and have a coughing fit. Daniel and Stephen had both laughed at him, which irritated him. Just because they were okay with having kids right now…he was feeling rather cornered as he hurried off to work. 

D chuckled over his mate’s swift departure. It amused him not to reassure the blonde human that he himself wasn’t ready to have a child just yet; it was fun watching Leon squirm. When he sweated and twitched like that the Kami had to struggle not to laugh in his face. And he’d deliberately played up his cooing over Fox, just to needle his mate even more. He thought he’d tell Jill all about this; Leon’s partner would get a kick out of hearing that her fellow detective was becoming jumpy, because he believed his mate might want a baby. He and his brother attended to the shop, for Stephen didn’t want his pregnant mate doing any hard work. They had both laughed at the expression on their father’s face when Stephen had said this before leaving for school.

“But Father,” Chun Lian had teased when Lord D had looked rather put out, “Weren’t you always telling Grandfather to sit down and take it easy? Stephen is just concerned for you, that’s all.”

Lord D had glowered at his impudent eldest child, before going off in a huff to the sitting room. Both D and Chun Lian had laughed heartily once he had gone. “Poor Father,” D remarked as they went in the back to attend to the animals. “I believe the humans have a saying for an occasion like this one… ‘Hoist on your own petard’. I asked Leon to explain it to me once, and he said that it referred to an explosive device used during their human Middle Ages. Apparently, if the man setting it off wasn’t careful and quick, he got blown up by his own device because he didn’t get away fast enough. The device was called a petard. So to be blown up into the air was being ‘hoist on your own petard.’ It is an ironic saying, which applies in this case because now father’s mate is doing the same thing to him that he always did to Grandfather – worrying and fussing over him like a mother hen.”

“I see,” his brother remarked. “But to tell you the truth, brother, I’m surprised that your mate knew the origin of such a saying. He doesn’t seem very…” he trailed off, not wanting to insult his brother’s mate. 

D laughed softly. “He didn’t know it on his own, he had Jill look it up for him,” he replied impishly. Chun Lian chuckled. “I do not know what ‘Google’ is, but apparently it’s some kind of human oracle that knows everything,” D went on. 

“Interesting. Humans have certainly invented some curious devices in the last few centuries,” Chun Lian noted. “If only they didn’t have to destroy so much of this world to do so…they wouldn’t anger me so much.”

D nodded in silent agreement, as they began to take care of the animals. Humans were both fascinating and unbelievably irritating to Kamis at the same time. His own mate could be that way, too. No matter how long they were mated, he doubted that he’d ever totally understand Leon Orcot…

 

 

Sofu looked across the couch at his son. Lord D was sipping his tea moodily, scowling at the china cup. The older Kami tried to rein in his amusement over this situation. It delighted him that his offspring had a mate to fuss over him now that he was pregnant, as he’d never had anyone to do that for him before. It was Chun Lian’s human mother who had given birth to Lord D’s first son, and when he himself had had D he wouldn’t have accepted any fussing or worrying over him. He’d simply wanted to get through the pregnancy, and have it over and done with. But now Stephen was here to pamper and pet his pregnant mate. Sofu knew how much he’d enjoyed the care that Daniel had given him during his pregnancy, and he wanted the same for his son. 

He looked down at the baby in his arms. Maoh’s huge amber eyes were open, and he had a tiny fist stuck in his mouth. He sucked at it as he looked up at his parent. Sofu ran a finger down his cheek. “Ah, my little one,” he said tenderly. “You’re a great deal like your big brother was when he was born,” out of the corner of his eye, Sofu saw that Lord D’s attention was now trained on him. 

“In what way, Father?” he asked.

The older Kami looked up with a smile. “He’s a very good baby. He doesn’t cry much, especially if he gets fed and changed regularly. You were the same, my son; always very contented as long as someone was caring for you.”

Lord D had put a hand over his own abdomen. “Father?” he said softly.

“Yes, my son?” Sofu looked at him curiously.

“What was…my son like when he was a baby? Did he cry a great deal, or was he quiet like I was?”

Sadness washed through Sofu’s golden gaze. “He was a sweet baby, always cooing and smiling,” the older Kami replied. I never had much trouble with him.”

Lord D’s purple eyes dropped to his own lap. “Oh, Father,” he said woefully. “I wish that I could have…”

“I know, my son,” Sofu said gently. “But if you like, I could show you those memories sometime soon. I’m sure that D would like it if I did. He harbors no ill will toward you, after all, and you are his birth parent.”

“Yes. I’d like to see them,” Lord D replied. This heartened Sofu, for his offspring had never asked to see the memories of D’s childhood before this. Most likely he’d feared that he would hurt too much to see the things that he’d missed out on. 

“Very well. I’m glad that you finally wish to see them, my son. I have saved them in my mind in the hopes that one day you would have the strength to look at them.”

Lord D smiled wanly at him. “Thank you, Father,” he said. “And one day,” he moved his hand on his abdomen a little, “I shall have my own memories of raising a child of my body. I still have trouble believing that,” he went on with something like awe in his voice.

Sofu smiled. “You will believe it once he’s born, my son,” he pointed out, touching his own child’s glossy black head. 

“Yes,” Lord D looked at his tiny brother, love in his purple eyes. “The Gods are kinder than I had ever imagined, Father. They have given me a mate…and now a child, as well.”

'Yes, and it was about time that they gave you some recompense for what they put you through, my son,' Sofu thought. 

They both heard the bell going off in the shop, and after a moment the beads were pushed apart. "Grandfather, Father, he’s here,” D said urgently to them.

“Already?” Sofu exclaimed. 

A bulky figure came to stand behind D, towering over him. “Oui,” a deep voice rumbled. “I have come, Sofu D. You may all now relax, hmm? And leave it all up to me,” a hand waved negligently in the air. “For this beast shall not stand a chance against me, n’est ce’pas? This shou ying will depart this world very soon, you may count on it.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nature of their visitor is revealed, and the hunt for the shou ying begins.

Leon picked up the phone at his desk. “Orcot,” he said succinctly.

D’s voice came out of the phone. “Leon. Could you and Jill please come to the shop? There is a man here who may be able to track down the shou ying for us, and we need you to take him to the crime scene.”

The detective blinked. “Huh? Who is this guy?” 

“A friend of Grandfather’s,” the Kami explained. “You’ll understand once you meet him. Please come as quickly as you can.”

“All right,” the blonde replied. “Give us about forty minutes for traffic.”

“Very well. We shall see you then,” Leon hung up, and met the curious eyes of his partner across their desk. “That was D. He says that there’s a guy at the shop who may be able to help us track down the shou ying. Some friend of Sofu’s. He didn’t say how, or who this guy is – just that we should come to the shop and meet him.”

“Well, let’s go, then,” she replied, snatching up her purse from the desk beside her hand and getting to her feet. 

Leon also got to his feet. If the chief asked, they were going over the crime scene from yesterday again for any clues. The two of them left the police station, and went to their car. The blonde tried to contain his curiosity as he got behind the wheel. He’d know about this mysterious person soon enough and there was no way that he could get answers anyway until they arrived at the pet shop. But his foot went down on the accelerator, and Jill rolled her eyes, but slapped the siren on the roof of the car. They tore through the afternoon traffic, heading for Chinatown. 

 

 

With the siren, it took far less than the forty minutes that Leon had estimated to arrive at the shop. He pulled up at the curb, and he and Jill got out of the car. But, before they could actually go into the shop, Daniel’s truck and Stephen’s car both arrived almost simultaneously. Leon stared at the SWAT Commander as he got out of his truck. “So D called you too, huh?” he remarked. 

“Yeah. He knows that we want to be in on this hunt,” Daniel nodded at Stephen, who was approaching them with Buddy perched on his left shoulder. 

“Well, let’s go and meet this guy, and find out if he can do what the Kamis seem to think he can do,” the blonde said, waving a hand at the shop.

Since they were all riddled with curiosity, the other two men were amenable to this suggestion. They all hastened for the door of the shop, walking in together to see D manning the counter. The Kami greeted them all, and led the way to the beads separating the sitting room from the shop. “Come inside,” he said, lifting them. 

Leon heard several voices within the room, including a heavily-accented one he didn’t recognize. It was saying: “Tres beaux et jolie, le bebe,” it crooned. “It ez mervellieux, mon ami, that you have had thees petit jeune fils. Felicitations, truly.”

“Thank you, Jean,” Sofu’s voice replied. Leon saw that the Kami was sitting on one of the couches holding a sleeping Fox, with a stranger beside him admiring the baby. 

The detective studied this guy as he made room for Daniel and Stephen to enter the room behind him. A burly body was clad in a dark suit, with a light purple shirt, and a dark-purple tie with gold pinstripes on it. The face above the collar was somewhat rough-hewn and dark complected, with a five o’clock shadow along the jaw. Black hair had been slicked back away from this face, and a pair of shrewd black eyes glanced up to meet the blonde’s. Leon felt the hairs try to stand up on the back of his neck, for there was something strange about those eyes. They made him feel uneasy instinctively, and he wanted to put his hand on his gun.

“Who have we here?” the man said in that low, deep voice with its heavy French accent.

Sofu glanced up at them and smiled in welcome. “Ah, Jean. May I present my mate Daniel White Horse, My grandson’s mate Detective Leon Orcot, his partner Jill, and my son’s mate Stephen Caldwell. All of you, may I introduce you to my friend, Jean Valois? Jean is pack leader in the Bordeaux Region of France.”

“Pack leader?” Leon repeated blankly. "What pack?”

“A werewolf pack, Leon,” the Kami replied promptly. 

Now he was DEFINITELY going for his gun. The blonde’s hand scrabbled at his waist, remembering the last time he’d encountered a Wereanimal. Seeing his expression, Sofu lifted a placating hand. “Leon, I know that your last encounter with a Wereperson was not a good one, but please remember that the leopard was stuck half-way in between human and animal form. It was that that drove him mad, and made him attack us.”

The man sitting beside him hissed at this mention. “Tres malade,” he said. “For such a thing to happen.” He shuddered exaggeratedly. “It ez the worst fear of all my kind.”

“Yes,” Sofu replied. “But Jean is not mad, Leon. He will not attack you. Please sit down,” his voice was soft but forceful, and the detective found himself obeying this subtle order. 

Those weird black eyes were staring at him. Leon shifted on the couch next to D, not liking being stared at by this guy. He saw the French werewolf lean over, and say something softly in French to Sofu. The Kami’s golden eyes gleamed with laughter at whatever it was, and his red lips twitched. He said in a wavering voice: “Jean’s sense of smell is without par. Even Ten-Chan’s isn’t as good – and since he’s gone at the moment, anyway, visiting relatives, we cannot turn to him for help. And not only can he sniff out just about any physical trail, Jean has an added ability to follow supernatural psychic scents as well.”

“Oui, I shall find the trail of thees dreadful shou ying beast, you may be sure of that,” the Frenchman said with a wave of his hand. “It shall not be able to hide from moi.” He set his hand on his own breast, which made the gleam in Sofu’s eyes intensify. 

“Yes, of course, Jean. We are relying on you,” the eldest Kami said.

“You may do so, mon ami. I shall not let you down,” the werewolf declared. “I will go and change now, shall I? Then the hunt may begin,” he rose to his feet.

“I will show you a room you can use, Monsieur Valois,” Chun Lian remarked, getting lithely to his feet and leading the way out of the sitting room.

“So let me get this straight – that guy is about to go on a dangerous hunt after a supernatural monster, and he has to take time to change his clothes?” Leon said incredulously. 

Sofu laughed softly. “No, Leon, you misunderstand. He is not going to change his clothes – he is going to change his form,” the Kami explained.

“Huh?” the blonde replied.

D touched his knee. “Grandfather means that Monsieur Valois is going to assume his animal form, as his sense of smell is much sharper in that body.”

“Oh…” the detective said. “You mean he’s going to change into a WOLF?! Right now? I thought that they needed a full moon for that?”

“That is a myth, Leon,” Sofu said. “While it becomes imperative for Werefolk to change under the full moon, they can assume their animal form at any time.”

“I guess we’ll have to explain him away as a police dog, Leon,” Daniel commented wryly. “Sof – how big is his animal form anyway?”

“About the size of a small horse,” the Kami replied promptly.

Stephen whistled. “That’s pretty big. Is anybody going to believe that he’s a regular dog?”

“I believe that they will. You humans have a propensity for seeing only that which you choose to see. Their eyes may see an enormous wolf, but their minds will tell them that it’s a very large dog.”

Daniel chuckled. “You have a point, Sof,” he commented. 

Stephen had gone over to sit down next to his mate, who was looking tense and unhappy. Lord D let his head rest against the tall young human’s shoulder as Stephen said softly into his ear: “It’ll be fine, babe. I know you want to come with us, but you simply can’t. Not now,” his big hand cradled the Kami’s abdomen tenderly. 

“Oh, Stephen, must you go?” Lord D said woefully.

“Yeah. Something tells me that we’ll need all the help we can get. Trust me, babe. Nothing will happen to me. That’s a promise,” he kissed the bridge of his mate’s nose lovingly. Buddy croaked at the Kami from his human’s shoulder, as though to echo and reinforce that promise. 

Lord D blinked away tears, as he tried to fight back his instinctive panic. All of his family’s mates would be going on this hunt, after all; one of them might be killed or badly injured instead of Stephen. All of them would have to live with that fear, including his father. It couldn’t be easy for Sofu to let Daniel go off into danger without him, not when their son was only a day old. He had to be courageous, and fight back his fears. “I believe you, Stephen,” he said simply. 

His human chucked him under the chin lightly. “That’s my lovely Lord D,” he said happily. “Try not to worry while we’re gone; just think about our little one here,” his hand caressed Lord D’s abdomen. 

“I shall try,” the Kami agreed. He put his own hand over Stephen’s and their fingers intertwined. 

“Leon,” Sofu said.

The blonde looked at him. “Yeah?” 

“Perhaps, as part of your pretense, you could put a collar and leash on Jean. He would like that,” the eldest Kami teased.

The detective’s brows drew together. “Huh?” he said as D put a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter, and both Daniel and Jill grinned widely. “What do you mean, Granddad?” 

Sofu chuckled. “You haven’t figured it out yet? Jean thinks that you’re quite attractive. He’s always had a thing for blondes,” Sofu added in amusement.

Leon gaped at him, as D succumbed to his laughter at last. “You mean that that werewolf guy…was eyeing me?!” he blurted in disbelief.

“Like he would a nice, juicy, raw steak,” the Kami replied simply. 

“Well he’d better just look,” Leon growled. “I’m taken – and besides, I’ve never liked the French,” he added in disgust. 

Daniel broke into open laughter at his words. “I’m sorry, Leon,” he said when he could speak again. “But the expression on your face…” he trailed off again as Chun Lian reentered the room. His gold-rimmed purple eyes took in the fact that everyone in the sitting room was laughing over something, even his father. 

“Jean will be with us shortly,” he remarked. “Did I miss something?”

“I was merely telling Leon about the fact that Jean is attracted to him. He did not take the news very well,” Sofu explained.

“Ah, I see.” Chun Lian said in amusement. “That was not very kind of you, Grandfather. Although, perhaps, if he is wary, Leon will be on the lookout for a nose shoved into certain of his more private parts.”

The Detective made a noise rather like “Erk,” then husked: “If he tries that, I’m shooting him no matter how much we need his help.”

“Fair enough,” Chun Lian said. 

“And you can stop laughing,” the blonde growled, pointing an accusing finger at his mate. “I’d think that you wouldn’t like somebody else checking me out.”

D’s parti-colored eyes twinkled. “It might upset me, Leon, if I thought that you would be interested in him in turn. But since that is not the case…and you have to admit that it is quite funny,” the young Kami said, spreading his slender hands rather ruefully in front of him.

“I don’t see what’s so funny about it,” the Detective humphed in disgust. “Just wait until some other guy takes a liking to YOU. See if I get upset.” The blonde sniffed.

D walked over and set his hand on the Detective’s arm. “Forgive me, Leon,” he said, patting it. “I should not have laughed at you.”

Leon sighed as he pulled the slender creature into his arms. “You can laugh at me all you like, D,” he replied. Then he kissed the Kami, making everybody look away discretely. 

Daniel went over to Sofu on the couch and sat down next to him. He reached out to touch the top of his new son’s head. “You and Fox will stay here safe,” he said to his mate. 

“And you will go and destroy the shou ying,” Sofu replied serenely, completely confident in his mate. “We will be waiting when you return, Daniel.”

The SWAT Commander smiled and leaned over to kiss the Kami briefly on the lips. “You can count on that,” he replied. He bent his head to kiss the top of Maoh’s head, as well. Then he got up to join the group who would be hunting the shou ying, and Stephen finally deserted his own mate. Lord D’s fingers clung to his for a moment, and then the tall young human walked away. Sofu threw his son a compassionate look, as Lord D stared at the fingers twined so tightly together in his lap that they were almost bloodless. 

A deep, growling voice spoke behind them all, making everybody turn to look at the beads. An enormous black wolf slid through them as it remarked: “Shall we go, then? I am ready to sniff out this shou ying.”

Leon gaped at the beast. “You can talk like that?!” he exclaimed.

The wolf nodded his head. “Oui. It is ze nature of the beast, eh?”

Chun Lian winced at this. “If you’re ready to go, we will be on your way,” he said to the werewolf. 

“Let us go, then. I shall track down thees creature and we shall finish it altogether.” The black eyes moved to Leon, who scowled at the wolf ferociously. The bastard Frenchman was a wolf in wolf’s clothing, and he’d better put his mind to tracking down the shou ying and keep it away from a certain detective…or he’d find himself eating the muzzle of Leon’s gun.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean scents out the shou ying, and the Kamis and their mates go into the sewers to track the beast down.

Once they got outside, Leon eyed the enormous black wolf that had sat down on his haunches on the sidewalk. “What do we do with him?” the detective demanded, jerking a thumb at the werewolf. “He won’t fit in our car.”

“No problem, Leon,” Daniel remarked confidently. “He can ride in the back of my truck. Stephen can ride with me as well. You guys take Chun Lian and D with you in your car. Problem solved.”

Leon gave the SWAT Commander a grateful look. He had not liked the thought of having to ride with that damned werewolf. In an enclosed space, who knew what might happen? “That’s a great idea, Daniel,” he remarked. “You,” he pointed at the werewolf, “Ride in the back of his truck.”

The wolf sniffed audibly, yawning in an exaggerated manner. “If I must,” he conceded. 

“You must. Let’s go, we don’t want the trail to get too cold,” Leon strode toward his car with Jill and the two Kamis in tow. Stephen and Daniel got in the front of his truck, while the werewolf leapt nimbly into the bed and sat down, looking resigned. Clearly he would have preferred to ride with Leon – and maybe lay his head in the detective’s lap at some point during the ride.

“You got lucky, Leon,” Jill remarked as she got in the passenger seat of their car. D giggled audibly from the backseat, making his mate give him a disgruntled look in the rearview mirror.

“Sheesh, maybe I should just let him ‘paw’ me,” he replied, making Jill choke at the horribleness of this pun while both the Kamis broke into open laughter. 

“Glad you’re all entertained,” the blonde remarked sourly as he started the engine. “So happy to have provided you with amusement.”

D leaned forward and set one slim hand on his mate’s shoulder as Leon pulled away from the curb. “Leon, you must admit it’s rather funny,” the Kami said.

“I don’t have to admit any such thing,” the detective growled, as Jill lifted a hand to cover her mouth. Her brown eyes twinkled above it as she glanced at her partner. “I don’t find it funny at all.”

A soft sigh. “I’m sorry that you find Monsieur Valois’s attentions troublesome, Leon,” the beautiful being said. “Once this hunt is done, may I try to make it up to you?”

There was a tone in that musical voice that made the blonde’s body stand to attention right away. He gulped. “That’d be fine, D,” he croaked.

Nails scraped lightly along his collar in a soft promise, before D sat back once more and let Leon attend to his driving. His brother threw him an amused look, and the Kami’s red mouth curled in a slight but wicked smile. Chun Lian mused to himself that his brother had changed a good deal since he’d come of age and mated with Leon Orcot. His sexuality was a tangible aura around him now. He had blossomed, and the human detective was a very lucky man. Chun Lian only hoped that he understood that, and never took D for granted. His brother’s sweet, gentle nature should be nurtured and protected, not trampled on. Still, for all of his braggadocio and bluster, Leon Orcot was surprisingly tender and loving with his sibling. Clearly, he cherished his mate a good deal. Chun Lian was glad about that. It still amazed him that his brother, father, and grandfather had all mated with such caring human beings. He’d known that some existed, of course, but up until now he’d always assumed that they were few and far between…

Most humans, Chun Lian had always thought, were more like that yakuza boss Kazuhari. Selfish, arrogant, and driven by darker emotions. Still, perhaps that was why he was attracted to the man. He liked to play with fire, always had. Kazuhari reminded him of a wild animal, a powerful alpha wolf. Wolves took care of their own packmates, but were not inclined to show gentleness or caring around anything else. They couldn’t afford to, after all, lest they starve to death or get attacked by enemies when they showed weakness. And while he was happy for his family members, honestly Chun Lian had himself never been drawn to sweet, kind, or gentle people. His own force of will was so strong that he’d have trampled over anyone who was too gentle or fragile. He liked people who stood up to him. Hmm, if he survived this encounter with the shou ying, he’d have to go and make life hard for Kazuhari once more. He wasn’t totally sure he’d win in that battle, but that made it all the more interesting…

 

 

Daniel followed them to the crime scene in the field, the big black wolf sitting upright in the bed of his truck, while the wind ruffled his fur. And true to what Sofu had predicted, people seeing the wolf assumed that it was just an enormous dog. When they arrived, the werewolf jumped out of the truck and shook himself briskly. Daniel emerged from the driver’s side, while Stephen unfolded his tall frame from the passenger’s. Buddy cawed and spread his wings a bit, ruffling his feathers as he sidled along his master’s shoulder. Leon opened the back door on one side of the car, while Jill opened the other. The Kamis emerged from within, their slender hands smoothing the front of their cheongsams. 

The crime scene had some yellow police tape on stakes around it, but the body had long since been hauled away to the morgue. The werewolf trotted over to this area, breaking through a strung section of tape easily. He put his nose down, and began to snuffle at the trampled ground where the body had once laid, a tense eagerness in the set of his big black body. Humans and Kami alike approached but kept back, giving him room to work. Leon and Jill both checked their guns, while Daniel opened the metal box in the back of his truck and pulled out a shotgun. “Can you shoot a gun, Stephen?” he asked the tall, blue-haired young man as he draped the shotgun over his shoulder casually.

“No,” Stephen replied promptly. “I’ve never picked up one in my life.”

Daniel frowned. “You should have some sort of weapon,” he remarked. “Here,” he dug out a sports equipment bag from the space behind the seat in his truck, then extracted a sturdy baseball bat. “Take this,” he said, handing it to Stephen. “It’s a lot less complicated than a gun. Just whack the shou ying with it.”

Stephen grinned, swinging the bat a few time in his hands. “Thanks, Daniel. I can at least use one of these. Although I’ve never hit anybody with one…except when I was in the seventh grade, and that was an accident. My bat slipped out of my hands and hit Ronny Deitzler right in the chest. Man, did I feel bad about that. He had some nasty bruises.” He shook his head over this childhood memory, as Daniel grimaced. 

“Well just remember that this thing we’re hunting isn’t a human being,” he pointed out seriously. “It’s a nasty, killer monster that feeds on fear. Don’t stay your hand if you have an opportunity to hit it.”

Stephen looked at him somberly. “I won’t,” he replied. “We gotta stop this thing from killing people and having babies that will kill even more people. Besides, if it’s as smart as Chun Lian says it is, it might decide to do a preemptive strike and come after the people who represent the biggest threat to it. That includes my pregnant mate, and your mate, as well as little Fox. We gotta protect our own, man, no matter what.”

“That’s the spirit,” Daniel replied simply. “And you’re right. It might decide to do just that if we can’t find it and kill it.”

They turned their attention to the crime scene, where the werewolf was still sorting through the various scents. “Could you hurry this up?” Leon asked impatiently, earning him a hard stare from the giant beast.

“I weel not rush thees, Monsieur Orcot,” he rasped. “I wish to make sure that I can follow thees creature’s psychic scent no matter what. We cannot afford for me to lose her, non? So be patient,” he turned back to his scenting, while the blonde gritted his teeth and tried not to fidget.

At last the werewolf remarked: “I have it. Let us go,” he loped away across the field in the direction that Chun Lian and D had gone earlier when they were following the shou ying’s energy trail. Everybody hurried to go after him, Jill having put on a pair of sensible running shoes in place of her high heels. 

Arriving at the storm drain where the creature’s trail had ended, the werewolf sniffed at the grate thoughtfully. “I can follow thees psychic trail,” he remarked in his growling voice, “But you all shall not be able to keep you with moi on foot. I shall go into the sewers and track her, non, and you shall wait for me up here.”

“Hey, wait a minute!” Leon protested. “We’re just supposed to stand around while you do this? And how the hell are you supposed to contact us and tell us where to go, once you find this thing?”

“Thees is no problem,” the werewolf replied calmly. “I shall simply call you,” he lifted a paw to tap at his neck and the blonde realized that there was a pouch on a thong there. “I have ze cell phone, non? I shall simply change into my human form and call you when I find thees shou ying creature. You may count on it. Give me your cell phone number,” he added, “So that I may call you when I find her.”

“Oh,” Leon felt a bit stupid. He recited his cell phone number once, and the werewolf nodded before he pawed at the grate. “Open it for me, oui?”

Between the Kamis and the human men, they managed to pull the grate away from the sewer opening. Jean wrinkled his nose fastidiously. “Mon Dieu, what an odeur!” He sneezed, but then gamely began to wriggle into the opening. It wasn’t easy for him since his body was so large, but he managed. His voice echoed out at them. “Wait for me, mes amis, until I call for you, ne’est ce pas? You may count on me, be assured,” then they heard the slapping sounds of his paws, as he padded away after the psychic trace of the shou ying’s scent, leaving the small group by the open sewer grate.

“Better him than me,” Leon muttered, putting a hand up to pinch at his nostrils. “It stinks down there.”

“If the shou ying is laired somewhere in the sewers, I’m very much afraid that we will be going down into them as well, Leon,” Chun Lian pointed out to him.

“Sheesh. The things we gotta do to save the day,” the detective mumbled in disgust, making everybody laugh. 

 

 

It was a long, tense wait by the storm grate. They all finally sat down on the curb, hoping that no one would call the cops about the group of weirdos just sitting out here for no apparent reason. “What the hell could be taking him so long?!” Leon demanded after almost an hour had passed.

“It can’t be easy for him to follow a trail through the sewers, Leon,” Chun Lian pointed out calmly. “Give him time. Jean will not let us down.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” the blonde replied. “Since I don’t know this guy.”

“Jean is a good friend of Grandfather’s, Leon,” D pointed out to his mate. “He is trustworthy.”

The Detective shrugged but fell silent, since he trusted Sofu’s judgment. It was a good thing they were in mid-‘winter’ around here, since if they’d had to sit for any length of time in the summer, they’d have been broiled by now. At least he and Jill could tell their chief that they’d been working (okay total lie, but what choice did they have?), and Daniel had used the excuse that he needed to go home to his ‘wife,’ who wasn’t feeling well after having her baby yesterday. Stephen had skipped his classes to be here, although he’d also said that since he was getting straight A’s anyway one day didn’t really matter. That had made Leon eye him incredulously, because frankly the kid just didn’t always seem that smart. It slipped his mind most of the time that the tall, friendly young man was in fact a genius. 

Stephan was feeding his raven some sunflower seeds. Buddy took them daintily from his hand with his claws, and then nibbled them while the human stroked the feathers at his breast with two fingers. Daniel sighed, rubbing at his short bristly hair with one hand. He wanted this to be over just as much as Leon did; he wanted to go home and spend time with his mate and newborn son. He was still in shock over finally becoming a father, and he couldn’t quite believe that he’d helped to make that tiny creature with the huge eyes the same color as his own. He couldn’t wait to cradle Fox in his arms again – after he’d cradled the baby’s other parent. 

Leon’s phone rang, and everybody tensed but looked hopeful. Finally! The detective clawed the phone off of his belt and flipped it open. “Orcot,” he said.

“This eez Jean. I have tracked the beast to her lair, I believe. If you all come here we shall finish her, oui?”

“Where are you?” the blonde asked.

“I shall give you the names of the streets here. But I must be quick, as you prudish Americans will not like a naked man strolling about on your streets,” the werewolf read off the names of the streets, and Leon calculated that it would take them less than thirty minutes to drive to where Jean was. “I shall change back and curl up in the shadows, oui? Men with nets coming to round up a stray would not make me happy,” the werewolf said before he hung up.

“Let’s go,” Leon barked, jumping to his feet. 

They hurried to the car and truck. Daniel once more followed Leon as he drove swiftly and rather recklessly through traffic. Jill finally slapped the siren on the roof to clear the way ahead of them, and they arrived at the two cross streets that Jean had given them. There was no sign of the werewolf anywhere when they pulled up to the curb and got out. But there was a soft growl from the shadowy alley next to a convenience store and the wolf padded out to meet them. “Are you ready, mes amis?” he asked softly, not wanting any passing people to hear a very large black dog talking. “It eez thees way,” he turned around and led the way back into the alley. 

There was an open sewer grate near the side door of the convenience store. Jean had most likely resumed his human form before pushing it open from underneath. Leon felt his heart sink when he saw it. It looked like they were going to get a trek into the sewers after all. He wanted to groan at the very thought. “We go down,” the werewolf remarked. “She is close, mon amis. Her den, oui? So be prepared to fight very soon. Are you ready?”

Daniel cradled the shotgun in his arms. “Let’s do this,” he remarked grimly. Stephen nodded, holding the baseball bat in one hand. Leon and Jill both pulled their guns from their holsters. The werewolf growled in approval and jumped down into the sewer grate. With a glance at each other, the humans followed suit. Leon grimaced as he slid down into the stinking darkness and then reached up to help his mate slither down as well. They got out of the way as Daniel crawled down, then something was pushed into his hand. “Fortunately I have flashlights enough for all of us” he remarked. “It’s always good to be prepared.”

“Definitely,” the blonde replied fervently as he clicked it on. Chun Lian dropped down, then Jill. Stephen was the last in, ducking down because he was just too tall to not hit his head if he didn’t do so. He was going to be like an arthritic old man if they had to stay down here too long. “Where to?” Leon asked the werewolf, who was waiting patiently nearby.

“Thees way,” Jean replied, and moved off into the darkness. They all followed him as he set off down the tunnel they were standing in, their footsteps sounding loud in the enclosed space. Man, this was just like a horror movie, Leon thought grimly. And wasn’t that close enough to the truth? They were going after a monster after all. Here was hoping that this didn’t go down like a horror movie plot where half of the desperate and determined people got killed by said monster before the end credits rolled.`


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle to destroy the shou ying takes place...

Leon did not like his present situation at all. It was dark, stinky, and cold down in the sewers, and he was feeling a more than a touch of claustrophobia. Also, they were walking through sludge that did not bear thinking about at all. But, since no one else was complaining, he simply gritted his teeth and pushed forward after the large wolf padding down the tunnel ahead of them. D walked close by on his left, and to his eternal astonishment, both his mate and Chun Lian had produced small will o’ the wisps of light in the palms of their slender hands. He sometimes forgot just how magical Kamis could be until things like this reminded him. Jill was to his right, with Daniel, Stephen, and Chun Lian behind them as a rear guard. 

The blonde felt terribly sorry for Stephen, who had to walk with his head bent and his shoulders hunched. The tall young man would have been bumping his head against the ceiling constantly, otherwise. His raven Buddy was now perched on his forearm rather than his habitual place on Stephen’s shoulder, since there was no room for him there right at the moment. Except for the sound of their breathing and footsteps, it was eerily quiet down here. They could have been in another world altogether, not in the city of Los Angeles anymore. Leon knew with a grim certainty that he could never be a city maintenance worker. If he’d had to come down here all the time, he’d be a basket case.

Jean stopped suddenly, and a low growl issued from his throat. They all came to a halt behind him as D asked softly: “What is it, Jean?”

“I smell death up ahead,” the wolf growled, and Leon felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle.

“Like a dead rat or something?” he said uneasily.

“Non. Much death, many deaths. Not rats,” the tone of the werewolf’s voice made them all uneasy. 

“Do we have to go forward past this smell to find the shou ying?” Chun Lian asked quietly.

“Oui. I am afraid so,” the werewolf replied grimly. 

“Then let us do so, no matter how bad it is. We have to find and destroy this creature,” the Kami replied tightly. “There is no other choice.”

“He’s right. But if the smell’s pretty bad, we should put something over our faces,” Leon remarked. 

“Agreed,” Daniel said. The human males all pulled off their shirts to tie around their faces, since now was not the time for modesty. The Kamis both produced silk handkerchiefs, something that Leon had seen D do before at crime scenes. Jill scrabbled in her purse and found a scarf at the bottom. Her partner was amazed by this, since women seemed to have the most astonishing things in their seemingly bottomless purses. The werewolf would just have to survive, and hope his nose went numb. “We will move as fast as possible past whatever this is,” Chun Lian said as he lifted his handkerchief to his face. 

“Definitely,” Leon agreed muffledly, as he tied his shirt around his mouth and nose.

“Lead on, Jean,” D urged the werewolf, who made a sound of agreement, before padding ahead of them toward the terrible stench. At first those following him didn’t smell it, but suddenly the odor of rot and decay became so overwhelming that everyone could smell it even through the cloth. Daniel groaned in disgusted horror, wondering just how many bodies they’d discover up ahead, to cause this bad a smell. Everybody’s footsteps faltered, not wanting to go on and see what must be ahead of them. But Chun Lian urged them on, and they all hurried forward, hoping to get past whatever it was as quickly as possible.

They came into a more open space, which was a juncture where almost half-a-dozen of the interceptor sewer pipes met and became an even larger tunnel. The ‘floor’ of this space was littered with heaps of what looked like rags, but as Leon’s flashlight ran over them, there were collective cries of horror. The piles were bodies – lots and lots of human bodies, thrown carelessly into heaps. The reason they looked like piles of rags was because it appeared that most of them were transients – the homeless people who lived on L.A.’s streets. Some were freshly killed, but others had obviously been rotting down here for weeks. It was a scene of carnage that was enough to make the mind try to overload from shock and horror. 

“Shit!” Leon cried, reeling back from this scene. “Are these all shou ying kills?” he rasped, flicking his flash light over the corpses quickly so that he didn’t have to look too hard at any of them. 

“I believe that they are, Leon,” Chun Lian replied grimly. “She must have brought them here to finish them off, rather than leave bodies littering the streets. She’s very canny and clever. Too many bodies would raise questions.”

“Oh, God, I think I’m going to be sick,” Stephen moaned. 

Daniel put a hand comfortingly on his shoulder. “Don’t look, kid,” he said. “Is there any way past these without is walking on bodies the whole way?” he asked Leon and Jill.

Her flashlight traced patterns, as she looked for a route they could take through the heaps of corpses. “I think so,” she said. “Come on,” she led the way, and they all went single file behind her. Jean padded at her heels, as the werewolf would be needed again soon to pick up the shou ying’s scent. They tried not to look left or right, to keep their eyes ahead and follow Jill as she picked her way daintily through the bodies in one of the few clear paths. But the overwhelming stench seemed to fill their lungs, and even with their flashlights trained forward it was impossible to not see sprawled limbs and heaped bodies no matter how hard they tried. Stephen made small noises in the back of his throat as he stumbled along, and everyone felt sorry for him. The cops, while they had never seen worse than this, were used to dealing with dead bodies. And the Kamis had seen many dead things, as well, since their charges were very short-lived compared to them. Only the tall young human had never come this close to mortality before, and he was obviously struggling. 

Finally, they were past the dead, and Jean took the lead once more. He padded into the enormous sewer that carried the run-off from the many smaller ones to the sanitation plants, that would clean the filthy stuff and make it potable again. It was so wide that they could skirt around the water running down the middle, and Stephen could walk upright again. He looked so relieved to be past the bodies that it wasn’t funny. He stroked Buddy with his fingers for comfort, his eyes glittering with emotion above the length of shirt still tied around his mouth and nose. “We are close,” Jean said suddenly. “She eez somewhere ahead of us. Be wary, mes amis.”

The cops liberated their guns, Stephen held the bat in his hand more tightly, and the Kamis gathered their magic. Every sound they made seemed very loud in this enormous tunnel, each one designed to alert the creature that they were coming. They were approaching yet another juncture of pipes, and a single low growl trickled from between Jean’s lips. “There!” he cried, his hackles rising. “She eez there!”

He’d turned toward one of the smaller pipes, and as he spoke something came gliding out of the darkness to confront them. It gave forth a soft hissing sound that made all of the primal fight-or-flight responses in their bodies go into overdrive. A pair of sulfurous yellow eyes glared at them, and a body that seemed somehow carved out of the very darkness itself coiled in preparation to attack them. The light from their flashlights seemed to slide off of the shou ying, until she seemed darker than the very darkness itself. “Fuck,” Leon ground out, lifting his gun to point it at the shadow beast. 

Another terrible hiss, then the shou ying took several swift, sliding steps toward them. Almost as one Jill, Daniel, and Leon all fired at the slinking thing - but to their astonishment, the bullets seemed to somehow get sucked into the darkness of the shou ying’s body, and spit out the other side without damaging her at all. She shrieked, and this sound was so awful that everyone instinctively clapped their hands over their ears except for Jean, who whimpered and cowered back as his ears lay flat against his head. Then the shadow beast hurled itself at them before they could recover, so fast that she almost seemed a blur. The cops swung their weapons around to shoot at her again, although bullets didn’t seem to have any effect on her at all. But she plowed into Stephen, as she seemed to have decided that he was the least dangerous to her. He went down hard with her atop him, Buddy squawking as he fluttered desperately into the air. 

“Stephen!” Leon yelled, cursing. The bat had skittered out of the young human’s hand when the shou ying jumped on him. She was leaning over him, her eyes meeting his, and Stephen opened his mouth and let loose a scream that made their stomachs clench in horror. 

 

 

For Stephen, looking into the shou ying’s eyes was like falling into a well. A deep, dark well where there had never been any light. Suddenly, he was standing alone on a street corner at night. Puzzled, he started looking around wondering where everybody else had gone. Hadn’t they been in the sewers? But then he heard a strange sound, and froze. Terror clutched at him. It was a soft moaning, groaning sound that he recognized immediately, along with a shuffling sound. Oh, God! He screamed in his own mind. It can’t be! But it was. He saw a dim figure lurch out of the shadows nearby, its arms raised as it moved toward him with a slow inevitability. Its head lolled nearly to its chest, and its skin was grey and rotted away in places. It was a zombie. 

He was terrified of zombies, because when he’d been five he’d snuck out into the living room at night to watch a horror movie on the late-late flick. It had been a zombie film, and he’d been so scared by it that he’d ended up hiding behind the couch crying in terror. His mother had scolded him when she’d found him there, but the damage was done. He’d suffered from night terrors and nightmares for months afterward, and even now he couldn’t go to zombie movies or play video games like Resident Evil because of that experience. And now one was coming to get him, here alone on this dark street, and it would eat him alive…He was so scared that he couldn’t even scream or move. He could only stand there and watch his fate lumber toward him…

 

 

Back at the pet shop Sofu, threw himself atop his son. Lord D was writhing, his purple eyes open but empty, screams torn from his lips. The fear that his mate was feeling had come to him through their bond, and he was having a hallucination much like the one that Stephen was experiencing at the shou ying’s claws. Except that, in his case, his worst fear was far more hideous than zombies, since he’d already experienced a real-life trauma. All that he saw was that bedchamber, with the human lord standing over him, with a leer on his face. The human came closer and closer, and the terrified Kami chained to the bed knew that if the human touched him he really would die this time… 

Sofu held his son down, calling out desperately: “My son! Come back!” But nothing was working. It was obvious to the older Kami that Stephen must have been attacked by the shou ying. Lord D was also affected because of their mating bond. 'Oh, Gods,' he thought as he tried to hold down his writhing, bucking child, 'if Stephen dies he will as well…'

 

 

Back in the tunnel, Leon was feeling desperate. Shooting at the shou ying was out, because even if bullets had worked on the shadow beast, they couldn’t afford to hit Stephen by accident. But from the screams that were pouring from the tall young human’s mouth, that thing was going to kill him…The werewolf ran past him, soaring into the air as Jean hurled himself on the shadow beast’s back. He snarled as he sunk his fangs into the weird substance that the shou ying was made of, at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He held on grimly as she shrieked again and tried to buck him off. His claws scrabbled at her as he fought for a hold so that he wouldn’t be thrown off.

“Hold her, Jean!" D cried, and Leon’s head snapped around to see an astonishing sight. Both his mate and Chun Lian were cupping their hands together, and a bright blue light was streaming from between their fingers. This light streamed upward and began to solidify into what looked like lightsabers. These blades of light were so bright that they cast bluish shadows on the walls, and threw everyone into clear relief. The two Kamis moved swiftly toward the shou ying, determination on their beautiful faces.

But the shadow beast saw her death moving toward her, and struggled to escape. She threw herself backward with all of her might, and managed to toss Jean away onto the floor of the tunnel. The shou ying coiled herself to run off down the tunnels, perhaps to get lost in the maze until after her children were born. The Kamis cried out and ran faster, their blades ready to strike. But she moved so swiftly, there was no way that they’d get to her fast enough…

A bundle of black feathers fell on the shou ying like a lightning bolt, cawing in fury. Buddy was angry that this strange creature had dared to attack his master, and the raven’s claws went right for those sulfurous eyes. Those were the shadow beast’s weak points, and she recoiled away from this airborne attack, while hissing furiously. She batted wildly at the raven with her long sharp claws, but Buddy soared out of her reach, while croaking contemptuously. He circled around to come at her again, and the shou ying was so intent on killing the bird that she forgot momentarily about the spirits charging her. And, by the time she remembered, it was too late. Blades of light slammed into her body, dissipating the darkness. She screamed in agony, as Chun Lian and D pushed with all the force in their slender but strong bodies to push the light swords in even deeper. 

The shou ying staggered, still screaming, her body thrashing wildly. But this only served to push those light swords into her body even deeper, cutting into her vital organs. Chun Lian looked at his brother, and D nodded. They called their magic in a swirl of energy, and it enveloped the shou ying completely. She gave a final shriek, even louder than the others had been, making the humans clap their hands over their ears again. Then the shou ying just…came apart, that dark substance dissipating in all directions. In only moments, she was gone as though she had never been. The tunnel was empty except for four humans, two Kamis, a werewolf and a triumphant raven circling overhead.

 

 

“Stephen!” Jill cried, running over to the young man still lying on the floor of the tunnel. His face was white, and she knelt hurriedly beside him, and put her fingers to his neck. Leon felt sick as he watched her. If Stephen was dead – then Lord D was, as well. He remembered how close that Sofu had come to dying when Daniel had been shot. The Kami mating bond was for life – literally. 

Jill gasped, and then sat back on her heels looking relieved. “He’s alive,” she said, and both Daniel and Leon took in deep breaths and relaxed so much that they felt almost boneless. They glanced at each other, both understanding the fear that they’d felt because of the bonds they shared with their own Kamis. 

Chun Lian and D moved over to Jill and also knelt next to Stephen. Chun Lian laid a slim hand on the human’s forehead. “He’s in shock,” the Kami noted. “But we can do something about that,” he went on as D nodded. The two Kamis called up their healing magic, and let it sink into Stephen’s body, and after a moment the human moaned and moved a bit. His blue eyes flickered open, and he stared dazedly up at the two beautiful beings leaning over him.

“Hey,” he croaked. “You guys definitely aren’t zombies.”

The Kamis looked puzzled by this statement, while the humans burst into laughter composed of both amusement and acute relief. “How are you feeling, Stephen?” D asked anxiously as they helped the tall young human sit up.

“Terrible,” he replied, putting a hand to his head. “But I think I’ll live.”

“You will most definitely live,” Chun Lian said.

“Where’s the shou ying?” Stephen asked, peering around the dark tunnel.

“Gone. We destroyed her,” D explained.

“Oh, great. Can we go home now?” the young human asked plaintatively. 

“Yes. Father will need to see you to be reassured, since he must have felt it when the shou ying attacked you,” Chun Lian said.

“Shit!” Stephen exclaimed, somehow scrambling to his feet. “You’re right! Let’s go!”

Leon and Daniel got on either side of Stephen, to support his wavering steps. None of them wanted to go back the way they’d come past the shou ying kills, so they set out to find a manhole they could crawl out of. There wasn’t one of them that didn’t want to get back to the pet shop, and reassure the Kamis and children left behind there that they were all right, and that the shou ying had been taken care of. And all of them most definitely wanted out of this sewer, because they were absolutely sure that they’d never be clean again... 

 

 

Sofu looked down at his son’s face. Lord D had relaxed, and was only unconscious at the moment. He breathed a sigh of relief as he sent a healing probe into his offspring’s mind. There appeared to be minimum physical damage to the brain, easily mended. He could only hope that the same could be said for any mental or emotional damage that Lord D might have taken during that attack. Only time would tell where that was concerned. After he healed the physical damage to his son’s brain, he sent a probe into Lord D’s womb to check on the baby. But the tiny spark of life there was undamaged, and he almost shuddered with relief as he sat back on his heels. Until everyone returned and he knew that all was well, he couldn’t relax totally. But for now he was just glad that he had not lost his precious son – and that said son had lost neither his mate nor his baby. He sent a prayer of thanks to the Gods, as he picked up Lord D and settled his still unconscious child on the sofa. The Kami should be awakening soon – and hopefully his mate would arrive before he did, so that Lord D would have the comforting sight of Stephen Caldwell’s face when he finally awoke.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm putting up the last chapters of this right now, because I have to go in for surgery tomorrow and don't know when I'll get back to posting stuff. so enjoy this story. -DL

Leon had rolled the window down on the driver’s side, and Jill had done the same on the passenger’s. The inside of the car stank; how they were going to explain this at work – she’d suggested that they take it through a car wash a couple of times before they went back to work. That was definitely a good idea. He drove toward Chinatown, desperate for a bath. Although he really did feel like he’d never be clean again… 

 

 

Daniel glanced at Stephen. The tall young man was leaning back against the seat with his eyes closed. Buddy was sitting on his forearm again, croaking occasionally. The younger man still looked rather pale, Daniel thought worriedly. “Stephen? You okay?” he asked in concern. 

“Yeah,” the younger man replied without opening his eyes. “Just feeling a bit out of it, is all. And I’m really worried about Lord D. I can’t really feel him…” the desperate worry in his voice made Daniel’s gut contract. 

“You can’t feel him? At all?”

“Well, I sort of can. But it’s like he’s asleep…or unconscious,” Stephen said grimly. “When Chun Lian said that he might be feeling the same thing I was…I’ve never been so scared in my entire life,” he added, his eyes finally opening. They were haunted, Daniel thought. His mouth had compressed into a thin line. “I can see why that thing could scare people to death. It was so real – it didn’t feel like an illusion at all. I really thought that I was going to die - that a zombie was going to eat me.”

At any other time, Daniel might have laughed at the fact that Stephen’s greatest fear was being eaten by a zombie. But not now. He was too worried about Lord D as well. The Kami’s mind was still a bit fragile, although he’d come a long way since Stephen and he had mated. What would this level of terror do to him? And he greatly feared what form an illusion of fear would take in the Kami’s battered brain. How could it be anything but the worst trauma that had ever happened to him in his long life? He concentrated on driving, wanting to get back to the pet shop as quickly as he could. He also wanted to reassure Sofu, and hold his newborn son. Plus, like everybody else, he wanted a bath so bad he could taste it…

 

 

Finally, they pulled up at the curb in front of the pet shop. Everyone exited their various vehicles quickly, Jean jumping from the back of Daniel’s truck. The werewolf shook himself in distaste over the odors clinging to his fur. He padded after the inhabitants of the shop as they hurried inside. The bell rang, as Leon went through the door with his mate at his heels, and Sofu appeared from the sitting room. He’d already known that they’d all arrived back, since he could feel his mate through their bond. “Oh, thank the Gods!” he cried when he saw them all. “I’m so glad to see you all back…” then he got a whiff of them, and one of his hands flew to his nose. “Oh, my goodness!” he exclaimed. 

“We had to go into the sewers after the shou ying,” Leon said grimly. “That’s why we all smell so bad. We all need a bath, Granddad. But before we go clean ourselves up – how’s Lord D?”

“Still unconscious,” Sofu replied. “On the couch. Are you well, Stephen?” He asked his son’s mate anxiously.

“I’m okay,” Stephen said rather wanly. He pushed past Sofu, not caring how he smelled, going over to the couch where his mate’s slim form was lying. He reached down and pulled the Kami up against him, burying his face in the long hair. “Hey, babe, I’m back,” he croaked. “Please wake up for me now, all right?”

But Lord D didn’t stir. Sofu’s hands tightened at his own waist, as Daniel put a hand on his shoulder. Stephen made a choked sound and swept his mate up in his arms. “I’m going to take a bath,” he said to them as he carried Lord D away toward their room. “Afterward, I’ll put him in our bed if he hasn’t woken up,” the anxiety in his voice made them all feel for him. 

He disappeared down the hallway, as Leon remarked: “We all need to get clean. Where’s Chris?”

:I’m here: the blonde turned to see his little brother coming from the back, the blue eyes looking up at him. :Are you okay, Leon? Eww, you smell bad!: he added as his hand flew to his mouth and nose.

“I know, kiddo. But I’m fine, so D and I are going to go take a bath and get cleaned up. I’ll tell you all about it afterward. Okay?”

The boy nodded, as the detective towed his mate away toward their own room. Chun Lian turned to Jean. “You may use my bath, Jean,” he told the werewolf. 

“Merci,” the beast growled. He went with Chun Lian as Daniel turned to Sofu. “I’ll get cleaned up. Where's Fox?”

Sofu went into the sitting room to retrieve the sleeping baby. He carried Maoh out into the shop, and Daniel smiled down at Chris. “Why don’t you help Sofu look after him while I shower, Chris?” he told the boy. “And Jill – you can go in before me. You won’t be able to wear those clothes, so we’ll have to try to find something that will fit you…”

She laughed wryly. “That won’t be easy. The Kamis are too small, Stephen’s freakishly tall, you’re too stocky – it looks like I’ll end up wearing some of Leon’s clothes.”

Daniel chuckled, as they all turned toward him and Sofu’s room. “We’ll just have to ask him to break out that red mini skirt,” he teased. “The one we all know that he wears for D sometimes.”

She giggled. “Yeah, I‘ll bet you’re right,” she agreed. “Leon’s always struck me as being pretty kinky…”

 

 

Lord D came back to himself slowly but surely. First came hearing – the sound of water swishing and splashing. Then touch – he could feel water all around him, except against his back where something warm and hard was. And hands were gliding over his skin, caressing and massaging him. He heard a familiar voice speaking and he listened to it: “Come on, babe,” it coaxed him, “Please wake up. Don’t make me beg, okay? I swear I’ll start crying here soon. You don’t want that, do you?”

He struggled to remember who this voice belonged to. Then his memory returned – a tall young human with teal-blue eyes and dyed-blue hair, a gentle giant who adored him. His mate, Stephen Caldwell. Lord D’s purple eyes flew open, and he took in the fact that he was half-sitting, half-lying in a bath tub with long legs on either side of him. He realized that he was leaning back against Stephen’s torso. It took him a moment to remember the shou ying’s attack, and weak as he was he still managed to send a probe into his womb to make sure that their precious baby was all right. He sighed with relief when he saw that the tiny spark of life was fine, nestled snuggly inside of him. “Babe?” he heard Stephen say, delight in the young voice. “Oh my God, I’m so glad you’re awake! Are you all right?”

Lord D turned his head a little, to meet the gaze of the tall young human craning his neck to look into the Kami's face. “I…” he struggled to speak. “I think so. And you, Stephen?”

The human grimaced, one of his hands coming up to cup Lord D’s jaw. “I’m okay. Not great, but I’ll live. It was you I was worried about. When I came back to the shop and found you were unconscious…” the remnants of fear in his voice were clear. “What happened? You felt the shou ying when it attacked me?”

“Yes,” Lord D closed his eyes, letting himself go limp as he was cradled in Stephen’s strong arms. 

“What…did you see?” Stephen asked tightly.

“I was back in that room,” the human could feel the ripples of terror that ran through his mate’s slim form through their bond. “He was coming toward me…”

“Oh, babe, I’m so sorry,” Stephen said in a choked voice, burying his face in his mate’s glossy hair. “It’s all my fault…”

“No. it is not, Stephen,” Lord D replied sharply. “You were attacked by a shou ying – there was no way that you could have fought back. Not even we Kami can do so when ensnared in her web of fear.” He lifted his hands to close them over Stephen’s tightly. “Oddly enough, experiencing that again seems to have been therapeutic in some way,” he began slowly. “Perhaps because that was my ultimate fear, but I still survived it. Somehow, it makes the whole thing seem less fearful, not more.”

“Man, you rock so hard, babe,” Stephen said in awe above his head. “How’s our little sprout by the way? It wasn’t hurt or anything, was it?”

‘The baby is fine, Stephen,” the Kami replied. “Would you like to see it?”

“You bet,” the human said eagerly, and Lord D drew his mate down into his womb so that they could both See their newly conceived child there. They both took strength from each other and this new life, and a peaceful silence fell over the tub for a while as they basked in the wonder of the precious thing that they had created together. 

 

 

Leon leaned back in the tub and watched the exquisite naked creature kneeling in it in front of him. D was washing himself, his parti-colored eyes occasionally lifting to look into Leon’s from under those thick black lashes. The Kami’s glances were teasing, sensual, playful. The detective felt his mouth going dry as he watched the show. One slim arm lifted, and a hand with long dark nails was rubbed the length of it in a slow caress. Water sparkled on that pale and perfect porcelain skin. D took in a deep breath, his other hand sketching his chest until it reached a pink nipple. 'Oh, shit,' Leon thought desperately. 

His mate toyed with that nub, letting his fingertips rub lightly over it. It became erect under his teasing touches, and Leon felt the breath leaving his body in a gasp. When had his oh-so-innocent mate turned into this houri? Not that he was complaining in the least – this was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. “Leon,” D husked throatily.

“Yeah?” the blonde croaked, feeling like he was going to explode at any moment. 

“I’m clean now,” D replied, sliding a hand along his own jaw and up his cheek. He paused briefly to extend his tongue and lick at the tip of one of his fingers. He never looked away from his mesmerized mate the entire time. “It’s very nice to be…clean. Although sometimes…” he paused briefly, his red lips stretching into a sultry smile, “It’s very nice to be dirty, as well. Don’t you agree?”

“Oh, yeah,” Leon said hoarsely. He could take no more of this slow seduction – his hands reached out to grab D’s slender waist. He pulled the Kami in for a deep, eating kiss, their tongues dueling. That slim naked body rubbed over his slickly, as D ended up straddling his waist. The blonde grabbed a hold of a pair of firm ass cheeks and kneaded them. Man, he could have done D right here and now! But his mind still had enough shreds of reason left to remember that if he did that they’d be pregnant in no time. 

He stood up abruptly, D clinging to him. He stepped out of the tub and bore his mate out of the bathroom and into their bedroom instead. Laying that gorgeous creature down onto their bed, he darted over to the table beside it to grab condoms and lube. When he turned around, he saw that D had put one arm over his head and had slightly spread his long legs. A hand was sliding over his own chest and stomach and his red lips were slightly parted. It was the sexiest sight that Leon Orcot had ever seen in his life. “Leon,” he purred, and that was it. The blonde lost it completely.

He fell on D like a ravening animal, biting, sucking and licking at every bit of that lovely pale skin. The Kami arched and moaned for him, and slim hands sketched his body with delicate skill. D found every one of his sensitive places and ruthlessly took advantage of them. By the time that Leon slid down to take his beautiful mate’s cock in his mouth, they were both so worked up that he knew with surety that neither of them was going to last much longer. He sucked at D and the Kami cried out rather wildly: “Leon, please!”

He knew what D wanted. Abandoning the rigid length quivering between his mate’s thighs, the blonde pulled back just long enough to roll on a condom and slick himself up. D watched him in anticipation, the parti-colored eyes full of a languid lust. It was partly, Leon knew as he slid between D’s spread legs, because they’d all come so close to dying not too long ago. But he didn’t give a shit about the psychology of it – all he knew was that her had to bury himself inside of his mate’s tight heat before he lost it altogether. And then he was sliding home and D moaned so beautifully for him that he had to stop for a moment so that he wouldn’t just come right away. He put his hands on the bedspread on either side of D, looking down into those astonishing eyes. The red lips smiled so sweetly for him now. “Leon,” the Kami breathed, but the lust had been superseded by an even more profound emotion – love. The detective looked down into those eyes and felt like the luckiest man in the history of the planet.

He bent his head and kissed those lips, letting the love he felt for this marvelous being flow through their bond and into D. Slowly, sweetly, he began to rock inside of the Kami. What had started out as a desperate act of fornication metamorphosized into lovemaking. D moved with him, winding his legs around Leon’s hips and caressing his human’s back softly with his long nails. No scratching this time, no pain. Just their mouths gently mating and merging even as their bodies did. It seemed to go on forever and both of them loved every moment of it. When he finally spilled himself inside of his mate, Leon Orcot felt as though he had transcended himself and had moved on to some higher plane of being. And hearing the soft sound that D made against his lips as the Kami came in tandem with him, he shuddered at the nearly overwhelming wave of pleasure that broke over both of them. 

They rested for a bit afterward with him still buried inside of D. Their breathing was loud in the silence, for neither felt the need to try to put this experience into words. Sometimes they kissed, soft little kisses without heat. When he finally spoke, Leon said quietly: “Have I told you how amazing you are, D? Those swords of light that you and Chun Lian made to kill the shou ying…that was better than Star Wars.”

“I have no idea what “Star Wars’ is, Leon,” the Kami pointed out in gentle amusement. His hand caressed the back of his mate’s neck. 

“It was a movie. Anyway,” he looked into those parti-colored eyes, “How did you guys make those things?”

“By manipulating our chakras, of course,” the Kami replied promptly. Seeing the blank expression on his mate’s face, he chuckled. “Never mind. We should get up soon and go check on father and Stephen.”

“Yeah,” the human agreed reluctantly. He finally pulled out of D, sitting up slowly. He felt bad that he’d forgotten about the older Kami’s state, but sometimes you just got distracted…


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As I said in the last summary, i'm going in to have surgery tomorrow, so I have no idea when i'll be able ot post again. So enjoy this story -Dl

Daniel emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam. “That’s more like it,” he remarked in satisfaction, rubbing a towel over his short bristly dark hair. Jill laughed from her position on the foot of the bed. She was sitting next to Sofu and the two of them had been cooing over little Fox together.

“You can say that again,” she said dryly. “Even though I ended up wearing this….” She waved a hand at the clothes she had on, which consisted of a pair of Leon’s grey work-out sweatpants because they had a drawstring on them; as well as a slightly baggy t-shirt with the logo of a sports team across the front, “I’m not going to complain. It’s good to be clean again.”

“Yeah,” he padded over to the closet to get himself some clean clothes to put on, since they’d probably have to burn what everyone had been wearing down into the sewers. He’d wrapped a towel around his waist in deference to Jill. He heard her and his mate start talking again about the differences between human babies and Kami babies and shook his head. 

Once he was dressed, Daniel came out of the closet and said to the pair of them: “How’s Lord D?”

“He’s fine, Daniel,” Sofu replied serenely. “He and Stephen came by a few minutes ago to reassure us that everything was all right. My son seems to be handling what happened very well in fact. I’m very proud of him.”

“That’s great,” Daniel replied. “Unfortunately…” he said to Jill with a grimace, “We all have to go back to work.”

She nodded as she rose to her feet. “But I’m having Leon take me home after the car wash to change. I can’t be seen in this outfit.” 

He laughed drolly. “I can’t blame you. You and Maoh going to be okay while I’m gone, Sof?” he asked his mate.

The Kami nodded. “Of course, now that I know that everyone is all right and that the shou ying is dead. We’ll see you later this evening.”

“I’ll bring you home something sweet,” Daniel said as they left the bedroom together. 

“You mean besides yourself?” Sofu teased a twinkle in his golden eyes.

Daniel chuckled as they entered the shop and headed for the sitting room. “That’s right,” he agreed, making Jill giggle. 

 

 

They found everyone else in the sitting room. Stephen and Lord D were nestled together on one couch, with Leon, D and Chris on the other. Chun Lian and the werewolf were still nowhere to be seen however. The blonde burst into laughter when he saw Jill wearing the clothes he’d loaned her. She glared at him. “Shut up, you! This is your fault, since you have the worst wardrobe I’ve ever seen!”

Everyone else started laughing as well, unable to help themselves. Jill sighed. “Oh, hell, you are definitely taking me home to change, Leon. I don’t want to be seen in the precinct like this. Not to mention…” she started to say, but trailed off.

Her partner instantly came alert. “What?” he said straightening up as he eyed her. “Not to mention what, Jill?”

“Never mind,” she became quite interested in the pattern of the carpet underfoot and wouldn’t look him in the eye.

“Ah-hah!” he cried, pointing a dramatic finger at her as everyone stared at them both in puzzlement. “You don’t want that Fed guy to see you like that, that’s what you were going to say isn’t it?” he said triumphantly.

“Fed guy?” Daniel asked. “Who’s this?”

Jill sighed, deciding to shoot her partner somewhere intimate later on. “I’m dating an FBI agent,” she said reluctantly. “And Leon’s never going to let me hear the end of it.”

“You got that right,” the blonde replied. “You told me that you hated Feds, Jill.”

“Well I do…but there can be exceptions to every rule,” she replied with dignity. “Garreth’s a nice guy.”

“He must be if you’re going out with him, Jill,” Stephen said earnestly. She smiled at him. “Thanks. I hope I have pretty good taste. Not in partners, but otherwise…” she added, making Leon snort. 

“We should get going,” the blonde said reluctantly. He got to his feet with a last kiss for D and a ruffle of Chris’s hair. “Well see everybody later on tonight,” he began, but just then Chun Lian and the werewolf Jean came into the room. 

“Ah, Father, are you feeling better?” Chun Lian asked, looking at Lord D. 

The older Kami nodded. “Yes I am.”

“Wonderful,” Chun Lian saw that three of the humans in the room were standing and looking they were going to go. “I suppose you must all go back to work,” he said. 

“Yeah,” Leon replied. “But before we do, there’s one thing that I have to say to you…” he thrust out a finger to point it at Jean, who looked surprised. There was a dramatic, tense pause, and then the blonde grinned and said: “Thanks. You were a big help and you saved Stephen. I owe you one. Which is why…” he continued as everyone gaped at him, “If you’re going to stay around for a few days I’d like to take you to the beach. It’s my day off tomorrow, we could go then.”

The beach?” the French werewolf repeated slowly. “Why ze beach, Monsieur Orcot?”

“Because Granddad said that you like blondes. There are always a bunch of good looking young surfer dudes hanging around the beach; you could take your pick…”

Jean looked thoughtful. “Hmm, that eez not a bad idea. Very well…I shall be glad to accompany you to ze beach,” he said to Leon. 

The detective looked satisfied, having taken care of his werewolf problem and also been more polite to Jean, which his mate had lectured him about gently. He nodded. “Come on Jill, Daniel. Let’s get going. I think all of us want to just finish work and go home as soon as we can.”

There was general agreement there and the three humans left the shop to get back to work reluctantly. Those left behind chatted and drank tea, and Lord D leaned against Stephen contentedly. His oldest son watched him thoughtfully, and Chun Lian’s mind turned once again to a certain Japanese yakuza mob boss. He sipped at his tea as his thoughts turned over and he finally came to a decision. Tomorrow he would go into Chinatown looking for someone – not Kazuhari, who wouldn’t have a base of operations in a tong area, but for a man named Eddie Chang. 

 

 

It didn’t take him long to discover the whereabouts of Eddie Chang, which might have seemed surprising unless one remembered that many people(especially Chinese people) responded to Chun Lian’s magical aura and became deferential. He arrived at the offices of the tong boss and talked one of the guards outside into letting him speak to the man. Eddie Chang looked surprised to have his office invaded by a beautiful man dressed in a traditional Chinese outfit, but he was a man who was clearly under a great deal of stress already. There were dark circles under his eyes and his mouth was a tight line. He stared at Chun Lian as the Kami seated himself in the chair. “Who are you and what do you want from me?” he demanded, not bothering to be polite. The Kami could understand his bad manners and didn’t let himself be affected by them. 

He set one of his slim hands over the other on his knee, and began coolly: “My name is Chun Lian D, and I have a proposal for you Mr. Chang.”

“And what would that be?” the tong boss asked in surly tone of voice.

The Kami’s lips lifted in a slight smile. “If you will help me find a certain person, I will help you in return,” he said.

“What person? Who? And how can you help me?”

His startling purple-and-gold eyes met the dark brown ones of the tong boss. “If you will take me to where Kazuhari Seiichi lives, I will help you get your wife back,” the Kami said softly, making the Chinese man’s jaw drop and his eyes practically bug out of his head.

“Who ARE you?! And how do you know about any of this?!” Eddie Chang barked, his hand reaching for a weapon in his jacket.

Chun Lian held up a staying hand. “I am simply an innocent by-stander who got kidnapped by Kazuhari Seiichi’s men because they thought that I was your wife,” he remarked. Eddie Chang just gaped at him.

“They thought that you were my…you’ve got to be kidding!” 

Chun Lian shook his head. “No. Because I am dressed traditionally, and because of the way I look, they assumed that I was a Chinese woman. Your wife Li Yan Chang to be exact. I can only presume that since they corrected their mistake and returned me to Chinatown, that they succeeded in taking your wife instead. Did they?”

The tong boss sighed. “Yes,” he growled, “But its not common knowledge. That fucking Kazuhari has demanded that I give him certain concessions or he’ll kill my wife. But I can’t do what he wants – I’d lose my position for no good effect and my wife would still be killed. It’s a stand-off for now, but he’s given me two weeks to do what he wants. If I don’t…” he ran a hand through his hair, looking stressed and anxious. 

Chun Lian nodded. “It’s as I thought. But I believe that I could talk Kazuhari-san into releasing your wife if you can take me to him. I have business of my own with him,” he added for the tong boss’s benefit, “But I don’t know where he lives or his places of business are."

“What makes you think you can get him to release Li Yan?” Eddie Chang demanded.

The Kami smiled serenely. “Trust me, Mr. Chang; there are special circumstances where I’m concerned. I think that Kazuhari-san will listen to me. So will you take me to him, Mr. Chang? Or shall I leave you to your dilemma?” he started to rise to his feet and leave the office.

“Wait!” it was clear that the tong boss was willing to go along with just about anything to save his wife. “I’ll take you to him. But if you screw me over…” he said threateningly.

Chun Lian nodded. “Yes, I know. You’ll kill me. Very well…shall we go? I am eager to talk to Kazuhari-san about my own business,” he added.

The tong boss got to his own feet and led the way outside to a car. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he remarked as they got in the back together. “I don’t even know you – why am I going along with this?”

“Perhaps because you have no other options?” the Kami remarked quietly.

A sigh. “Yeah. I just hope I’m not making a mistake,” he added.

“You will simply have to wait and see,” Chun Lian replied calmly.

 

 

They arrived at a low, one-story stuccoed house, which looked much like all the others on the block. “This is the house where he lives when he’s in L.A.,” Eddie Chang told Chun Lian. “This isn’t where he’s keeping my wife though…I had my men break in and search the place one night, but they didn’t find anything.”

“Ah. You may go, Mr. Chang. I might be here for awhile,” Chun Lian commented as he got out of the car. The tong boss gave him a sour look but waved at his driver to pull away from the curb. The Kami walked up the drive between beds of nicely tended flowers. Their scent reached his nose as he approached the front door, which was white and had a brass knocker on it. He used this item and then waited patiently. At last the door swung open and a very large Japanese man stood frowning in the portal. 

“What is it…” he began in heavily accented English, and then trailed off as he got a good look at Chun Lian. The Kami smiled wickedly.

“Hello again,” he said in perfect Japanese, “I haven’t seen you since you kidnapped me in Chinatown. Genji-san, isn’t it?”

The enforcer was clearly flabbergasted. Not that Chun Lian could blame him – having the man he’d mistaken for a Chinese woman show up on their very doorstep had to be throwing him off-balance. “Could I come in and speak to Kazuhari-san? I assure you he will want to hear what I have to say,” the Kami said with great poise. 

The big man hesitated, but he knew that his boss had gone and talked to this beautiful Chinese man after he’d kidnapped Chun Lian. He might want to hear what the man had to say. So he nodded and stepped back inside, waving the Kami into the house. Chun Lian went with him, following the enforcer as he led the way down a hall and opened a door onto a familiar study. The man behind the desk looked up irritably and said: “What is it now, Genji? I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed…” he trailed off at the sight of the slender being standing beside his enforcer.

“Good afternoon, Kazuhari-san,” Chun Lian said, his lips quirking a bit in amusement at the expression on the yakuza boss’s face. “I have come to talk with you. May I come in?”

The other man pulled himself together visibly. “Please come in, Kami-sama,” he said, waving an irritable hand at his enforcer. “Close the door behind you, Genji!” he barked, for the big man had come to a halt at the words ‘Kami-sama’ and was now staring at Chun Lian in amazement.

Genji finally got himself together and retreated out of the study. Chun Lian sat down gracefully in the chair across from Kazuhari’s desk. “What brings you here, Kami-sama?” the yakuza boss said in a deceptively calm voice as he folded his hands on the desk top. His pewter eyes were narrowed and had a deadly gleam in them. Chun Lian smiled, for even though he would be wary of such a dangerous creature he could admit to himself that he was also attracted to such a forceful, deadly personality. 

“Eddie Chang was good enough to bring me here,” Chun Lian replied and saw a flame start to flicker in the depth of the pewter eyes that did not bode well for him.

“Did he?” the yakuza boss said. “And why is that?”

“He wants his wife back,” the Kami replied coolly. “I told him that I would talk to you about releasing her.”

“Oh, did you? How very nice of you, Kami-sama,” the edge to his voice had gone very, very sharp.

Chun Lian showed no fear, his red lips still smiling slightly. “Yes, wasn’t it? But the truth is, Kazuhari-san, something tells me that you made a mistake when you took her. Eddie Chang cannot give you what you want, and if you end up killing his beloved wife he’ll simply declare an undying vendetta and hatred against you. It will begin a war, a war which I assume you do not want. Find a way to let her go – you’re an intelligent man, I believe you capable of straightening this situation out.”

“What does this have to do with you?” Kazuhari asked coldly.

“Nothing at all. Except that I needed to know how to find you so I approached Mr. Chang. But it makes good sense to let her go. I, however, will not say anything more about that matter. I came here to speak with you about something else entirely. I have a proposal for you, Kazuhari-san – and one that is to both of our benefits.”

“A proposal? What kind of proposal?” he sounded more interested and less angry now.

The Kami’s lips lifted in a wicked smile. “I think we can both admit that we are greatly attracted to one another, Kazuhari-san,” he replied. The yakuza boss drew in a sharp breath. “But there is one problem with any liaison taking place between us – we both happen to be semes.”

Silence. Then: “How do you propose to deal with that issue?” Kazuhari rumbled.

The Kami chuckled. “I propose a contest, Kazuhari-san. A contest in which it is winner-takes-all…literally.”


	15. Chapter 15

Silence. Then: “A contest, Kami-sama? What kind of contest?” Kazuhari’s pewter eyes were slightly narrowed, and it was clear that he was intrigued by both Chun Lian’s statement, and the wicked expression on the Kami’s face.

Chun Lian put his fingertips together, and looked at the yakuza boss over them with gleaming purple-and-gold eyes. “I propose a physical contest,” he said. “Since I very much doubt that a mental one would be to your advantage.”

The pewter eyes went slitted with outrage at this insult. “You go too far, Kami-sama,” he ground out. 

Chun Lian laughed softly. “You can punish me later,” he purred softly. “IF you win. So, what do you say, Kazuhari-san? A physical contest to determine which one of us will be the seme in our relationship?” 

The big man frowned thoughtfully, as he stared at Chun Lian’s beautiful face. “A physical contest…do you mean with our fists?” he waved one hand at the other.

Chun Lian shook his head. “I do not propose that we beat each other up, Kazuhari-san. I am talking about a contest with edged weapons, in which the one that scores ‘first blood’ is the winner of the contest, and thus of the position of seme in the bedroom. Even a scratch that bleeds will do, as the whole point of this exercise will not be to see if we can kill each other.”

“And what makes you assume that I have any proficiency with edged weapons?” Kazuhari asked coolly.

“Your hands,” Chun Lian replied promptly. “Those are sword calluses on the palms, if I’m not mistaken.”

The yakuza boss glanced down at his own hands. “Ahh. I see. And are YOU proficient with a sword, Kami-sama? If this is to be a fair fight.”

Chun Lian laughed. “I won’t be using a sword,” he replied simply.

Kazuhari’s eyebrows rose. “And just what will you be using, then?” he asked. 

“These. My built-in edged weapons,” the Kami lifted his slender hands, and displayed the long, dark nails to the yakuza boss.

Kazuhari gaped at him. “Let me see if I get this straight – you propose a physical contest between us in which I use a katana, and you use your FINGERNAILS?! Are you mad, Kami-sama?”

Chun Lian chuckled. “No, I assure you. While you will have the reach, Kazuhari-san, I will have the speed and strength. We Kami are psychically much stronger and quicker than you humans. So, to make this a fair fight I must give up the reach or you’d lose automatically.”

The pewter eyes considered him. “I see. And something tells me you are more than proficient at hand-to-hand fighting and martial arts.”

“Your instincts are good,” the Kami replied serenely. “So – will you take me up on my proposal, Kazuhari-san? Or do I leave, now and for good?” he rose elegantly to his feet in preparation for leaving the yakuza boss’s office.

“Wait,” Kazuhari held up a staying hand. “Give me a moment to think this over, Kami-sama. You surprised me by even coming here today – my brain needs to process this proposal. And if you make a joke about my slow wits,” he continued with a deadly look at Chun Lian, “Then you may leave, now and for good.”

The Kami sat back down, shaking his glossy head. “I assure you that I won’t. It isn’t exactly wise to anger a potential sexual partner too much, is it? You might be inclined to take it out on me in the bedroom,” his voice sounded more amused than contrite, and the yakuza boss snorted softly.

“Something tells me that you’d like that,” he remarked dryly.

“Perhaps,” Chun Lian said slyly. “I do have some…unusual tastes in that area.”

Kazuhari drew in a deep breath. “I think I must accept your proposal, even if I know I might lose,” he said grimly. “If nothing else, than to find out about these ‘unusual tastes’ of yours. Very well – I have a place that we can do this, whenever you feel that you are ready.”

“I’m ready whenever you are, Kazuhari-san,” the Kami replied promptly. 

“Now?” the yakuza boss asked.

Chun Lian nodded. “Now will be fine,” he said serenely.

 

 

It was less than an hour later, and Chun Lian found himself standing on the smooth dirt floor of a circular arena in a warehouse near the docks. Apparently, it was normally used for cock or dog fights, but Kazuhari had preempted it for his private battle with Chun Lian. The yakuza boss himself was standing at the far side, wearing a traditional kendo costume, and carrying an unsheathed katana in one hand. He looked powerful and very animalistic like that, Chun Lian thought in appreciation. He practically licked his lips as he thought of all of that power being unleashed in bed. His blood was up, and he knew that he was going to enjoy the coming battle thoroughly. Whether he won or lost, in his estimation, this was still a victory for him. After all, whatever the outcome, he still got Kazuhari Seiichi in his bed. 

“Are you ready, Kazuhari-san?” he called to the waiting human.

The yakuza boss nodded, swinging his blade a few times to loosen his wrists. “Let us begin, Kami-sama,” his deep rumble of a voice answered, as he got into a starting position with his blade held over and slightly behind his head.

Chun Lian assumed a fighting stance, with one slender hand in front of him and his legs spread in a cat stance. They eyed each other warily for a moment, and then both moved almost at the same time. The Kami ran straight at the yakuza boss, while Kazuhari darted forward with a surprising turn of speed for such a big man and swung at Chun Lian’s advancing figure with his sword. The slender creature dodged at the last moment, laughing as the blade passed close enough to his face that it almost kissed the skin. His purple-and-gold eyes were sparkling as he went into a crouch, and then hurled himself at the yakuza boss before the human could recover his balance. His fingernails were curled in front of him like the claws of a big cat. Kazuhari retreated in the last instant, but Chun Lian’s nails scored the cloth of his hakima. “Close,” he purred before leaping away again.

“As the Americans say – Close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes,” Kazuhari taunted as he resumed a sword stance again. 

“True,” Chun Lian laughed. He circled the yakuza boss, who kept a wary eye on him. 

“You are very fast, Kami-sama,” he said admiringly. 

“I try,” Chun Lian replied, still circling him. 

“My kendo teacher always liked to say that speed isn’t everything,” Kazuhari remarked musingly. 

“Did he? What else counts, Kazuhari-san?” Chun Lian called.

“Skill,” the yakuza boss replied and suddenly he was moving. It wasn’t just that he had fast reflexes – the blow he launched at the Kami was deceptive. It looked like it was going toward his abdomen, but suddenly, in mid-swing, it changed into one toward the shoulder. Chun Lian was taken in by it for a brief moment, just enough that the blade nicked his cheongsam, and almost got the skin underneath, as well. He managed to leap backward, but it was close thing. He laughed again, a wild sound, as Kazuhari resumed a sword stance instantly. 

“I am impressed, Kazuhari-san,” he panted.

“I am serious about this contest, Kami-sama,” the yakuza boss rumbled. “I do not intend to become your uke. And when you are MINE…” he hissed, “I am going to take you hard enough that you are going to scream with pleasure.”

Chun Lian carefully concealed the shudder that ran through him at these words. He lifted an arch eyebrow. “Oh? Big words, Kazuhari-san. But you still have to win,” he pointed out, as he began to circle the warily watching human once more.

“I know,” the yakuza boss replied simply, turning with him. He held his sword steady in his hand, and his pewter eyes were narrowed. 

The Kami waited for just the right moment to make his move. He needed to get under the human’s guard and go for a vulnerable spot, such as the wrists holding the sword. All he had to do was scratch the yakuza boss’s skin enough that he bled, even a few drops…then he would be the victor. Frankly, he had no idea if he was going to win or lose, nor did he really care. While it was an intriguing thought that he might have this powerful man as an uke, it was equally intriguing to imagine being Kazuhari’s uke. Pleasure would be had either way, and this contest was just a way to enjoy himself. Get the juices flowing, as it were… 

He grinned at this, and the Japanese man wondered about the thoughts going on in that glossy head. This creature was so frustrating, so irritating…and so amazingly desirable! He hadn’t been this worked up about anything in a long time. He wanted to win, but he also wanted to kiss those deep red lips. To plunder them, to take them in a miniature version of what would happen soon after…his groin was aflame, but he had to keep his head. If he didn’t, he’d lose to Chun Lian, and end up the Kami’s uke. He would not back down from this, so if he lost he would have to do something he really didn’t want to. The only other alternative was to win this contest, and to do that he had to remain constantly on his guard and ready to move in an instant. 

A whirlwind of sudden movement. Chun Lian came at him low and graceful, like a serpent striking. Kazuhari danced back and brought his sword down, aiming for the spirit’s back. But Chun Lian was too quick for him. The deadly creature darted under his swing and came up with those purple-and-gold eyes fastened on one of his wrists, the place where those long nails would be soon too…but somehow he turned as well, his whole body rotating in mid-air in a desperate move. He swung his katana in a short, deadly arc, and just before Chun Lian’s nails could sink into his skin the tip of the sword sliced into his side. He gasped, staggering, not having expected either the blow or the force of it. He heard Kazuhari cry out as well, just as he fell to his knees clutching his side. Blood was streaming down his fingers. “I…believe that you win,” he gasped, just before darkness rushed up to claim him.

 

 

He came to a short time later, finding himself being cradled in a pair of strong arms. “I swear,” an angry voice was saying in Japanese, “That the next time you propose something like this, I’m going to spank your ass rather than take you up on it, Kama-sama. Genji, get the car brought around! We need to get him to the hospital!”

“No,” Chun Lian remarked calmly, without opening his eyes. “That won’t be necessary, Kazuhari-san.”

The yakuza boss snorted. “That’s what you say. I’m taking you whether you like it or not.”

“Will that be the theme for our entire relationship?” the Kami asked politely, his eyes finally flickering open. He looked up into the handsome face above him, seeing the concern in the pewter eyes. It rather pleased him to see it there. 

A scowl moved over the sensual mouth. “You banter while you’re bleeding to death? I do not find that very amusing, Kami-sama.”

“Neither would I, except for the fact that I’m not bleeding to death,” Chun Lian replied calmly. “Have you checked the wound lately, Kazuhari-san?”

The human stared down at his uncertainly, then reached down to peel away the makeshift bandage formed of part of his kimono. Chun Lian heard a startled gasp, and grinned slightly. The human was just discovering the amazing powers of recuperation that Kamis possessed. “How is this possible?” Kazuhari asked incredulously. “The wound was bad – yet the edges are knitting already!”

“We Kami have the ability to heal ourselves very quickly, even from serious wounds,” Chun Lian replied. “It's one of the reasons that I wasn’t worried about taking you on, even when you were using a sword.”

Cold silence. “I see. Thank you for informing me of that beforehand. It saved me being frightened that I’d killed you,” Kazuhari rasped sardonically.

“Well I’m sorry about that. But I had no way of foreseeing the outcome of this. I thought that one of us would scratch the other that is all,” Chun Lian pointed out.

“Nevertheless I think I’m going to have to punish you after all,” Kazuhari growled. “Especially since I won. I hope you’re prepared to accept your defeat, Kami-sama.”

Chun Lian relaxed back in his hold, not the least bit concerned over his anger. “Oh, yes, I am,” he purred. “I was always prepared to do so if I lost. It was the game that counted, not the outcome.”

“Since you like to play games, there are a few that I’ll be happy to teach you,” the yakuza boss said with a hint of threat still in his deep voice.

“Mmm. It will be interesting to see if you know any new ones, since I’m centuries old. I’ve seen just about everything by now,” Chun Lian pointed out. 

“We shall see,” Kazuhari replied, before he bent his head and kissed Chun Lian savagely on the mouth. Their tongues twined together and the Kami made a small sound in the back of his throat as teeth nipped at his tongue almost hard enough to draw blood. This was going to be a wild ride, he thought gleefully to himself as he turned a bit and lifted his arms to twine them around Kazuhari’s neck. In all senses of the word. But he was going to enjoy every minute of it, just the same…


	16. Chapter 16

Chun Lian found himself being kissed hungrily. Kazuhari’s tongue danced with his, and the Kami reveled in the feel of the big body pressed to his own. Hands slid down his back to find his ass, squeezing and kneading the cheeks possessively. He moaned breathily, for it had been some time since he’d been with a lover. His body was reminding him of this fact in no uncertain terms. Excitement coursed through him, and he panted in a way designed to make the yakuza boss’s desire flare as well when Kazuhari finally pulled away from him. The big man closed his pewter eyes and shuddered. “We cannot do this here, Kami-sama,” he rasped. “And you should rest; you’ve been wounded, no matter how quickly it is healing.” 

Chun Lian wanted to resist this logic, but sighed at last. “Very well. Perhaps you could take me back to your home and let me rest there? That way we can continue this when I wake up.”

Kazuhari nodded, looking pleased at this suggestion. The Kami found himself swung up into that pair of strong arms and carried out of the arena. He might have protested, but he didn’t really care at the moment. He wound his arms around Kazuhari’s neck and let himself be taken out to the black car waiting outside. The yakuza boss got him settled on the seat before getting in himself. As the driver pulled away from the curb those pewter eyes slid his way. “I’m going to let Eddie Chang’s wife go,” he remarked apropos of nothing. 

“Are you?” the Kami replied, leaning back into the soft leather upholstery and closing his eyes. “That’s nice.”

A sigh. “You are the most frustrating creature…” the yakuza boss said in exasperation.

Chun Lian chuckled. “I try my best,” he replied easily. “Especially where you are concerned.”

“May I ask why?” Kazuhari said irritation in his voice.

The Kami’s red lips spread in a sly smile. “Because it’s so very amusing to frustrate and annoy you, Kazuhari-san,” he said. “And you must admit – you rather enjoy bantering with me, don’t you? You’re used to men kow towing to you. Isn’t this something different and new?”

"That is true,” the big man replied. “Not good, per se, but definitely different and new…”

Chun Lian laughed softly. “If I annoy you so why did you go through with this whole thing? It seems foolish to take a lover who drives you mad.”

“Perhaps. But at least I can acknowledge that I will never be bored as long as our liaison lasts,” Kazuhari replied.

“Indeed.” Chun Lian paused, then went on: “I have something to discuss with you, Kazuhari-san. Since I am to be uke in this relationship, I must ask that you always use the things called ‘condoms’.”

Silence. Then: “Why? Are you afraid of disease? I assure you that I am clean, Kami-sama. I got tested a few weeks ago – after I met you,” he went on dryly.

Chun Lian shook his glossy head. “No, it is not disease that I fear, Kazuhari-san. Rather, I would like to avoid becoming pregnant if I can help it.”

Startled silence. Then: “Could you please explain that to me?” the yakuza boss demanded incredulously.

So the Kami explained his reasons for wanting birth control used, while Kazuhari listened in fascination. “I see,” he rumbled at last. “That is astonishing, that male spirits can have babies. But you need not worry where I am concerned, Kami-sama.”

“And why is that?” Chun Lian asked as he opened his eyes to look sideways at the yakuza boss.

A shrug. “I’ve had a vasectomy,” the Japanese man remarked.

The Kami blinked. “A what?” he asked in puzzlement.

“A surgery that ensures that human males cannot have children anymore. I had it almost a decade ago.”

Chun Lian was now fascinated in turn. “What does this surgery entail? And why did you get it?” he asked.

“The surgeon goes in and either cuts or burns the cords that carry sperm from the testicles to the urethra,” Kazuhari replied promptly. "While a man who has had one will still ejaculate, there is no sperm mixed in with the fluid. And as to why I had it – I didn’t want any more children. One was enough.”

“You have a child?” Somehow that seemed strange to Chun Lian.

“Well, he’s hardly a child anymore. My son is almost seventeen,” Kazuhari said. “He was born when I was eighteen. My girlfriend at the time got pregnant and wanted to keep it. I joined a yakuza clan at about that time to have money to support both her and the child. She got married to another man and he helped to raise my son since no one in the clan except for the leader is allowed to be married or have children. My son has a half-brother and sister. I was pleased by the arrangement anyway, since I have never been fond of children. That’s one of the reasons that I had the vasectomy. I still like to sleep with women occasionally, and I do not want to beget any more offspring.”

“Interesting,” Chun Lian remarked. “You humans constantly fascinate me. Although I suppose I am not surprised that you have come up with so many ways to control your birth rate, since you breed like rabbits.”

Kazuhari shot him a slanted sideways look. “There is a crude human saying that we hump like them too,” he remarked.

Chun Lian laughed wickedly. “We shall see,” he replied on a purr. “We shall see.”

 

 

He awoke some time later in the yakuza boss’s bed. Kazuhari had carried him inside the house and had gotten him settled in it. The Kami had not really been surprised when he fell asleep almost immediately, for it had taken a great deal of his energy to heal the wound that Kazuhari had accidentally given him. But now he felt much better and he sat up with a yawn as he ran his slim fingers through his glossy hair. “Good evening,” Kazuhari’s voice said. The big man entered the room carrying a tray and wearing a startling silk robe. It almost looked like a combination of a kimono and a cheongsam, with abstract shapes done in subtle dark colors on the fabric.

“Are you hungry, Kami-sama?” the yakuza boss asked as he carried the tray over to the bed.

Oh, yes. He was starving, his body craving sweet things to replace the calories it had used. Seeing the way those exotic purple-and-gold eyes lit up, Kazuhari smiled faintly as he set the tray down in front of Chun Lian. They’d had a short discussion in the car about Kamis’ dietary habits, so the tray was mostly taken up with a delicious-looking torte, some cherry cheesecake, and several pieces of French silk pie. But there was also a salad, and Chun Lian fell to without any manners whatsoever at the moment. His body was demanding this nourishment, and he glanced up only once to see the yakuza boss’s brows lifting in amazement at the sight of the slender being eating everything on the tray down to the last crumb. Finally he was done and made a satisfied sound as he sat back on the pillows. Kazuhari stared at the empty tray in disbelief. 

“Where did you put it all, Kami-sama?” he asked incredulously.

“Right here,” Chun Lian patted his abdomen happily. 

Kazuhari shook his head as he removed the tray and took it out of the room. When he returned, he started to speak – but his mouth hung open a bit and went dry when he saw the vision on the bed. Chun Lian had removed his clothing, including the tattered and bloody cheongsam, and had let down his marvelous hair. It spilled over his shoulders, his only covering, as he lounged back on Kazuhari’s bed. He was a thing of such exquisite beauty that the yakuza boss hesitated in the doorway, feeling as though he were about to defile something perfect and pure. That is until the Kami slowly drew one leg up and bent it onto the bed in a clear invitation and gave Kazuhari a sensual, smoldering look from under his eyelids. “Come, Kazuhari-san,” he purred. “You won the contest – isn’t it time to claim the spoils?”

Staring at those parted red lips, the yakuza boss took a deep breath and reached up to remove his own robe. Chun Lain wasn’t surprised to see that he was naked under it - his purple-and-gold eyes gleamed with anticipation at the sight. Especially when he saw the magnificent tattoo that Kazuhari was sporting. It was done in black, red and gold, and the heart of it was a wolf with its mouth open in a snarl. The tattoos covered his muscular arms, and if he turned around the Kami knew that it extended down his back as well. It was an exquisite piece of art, and his eyes roved over it as Kazuhari began to walk toward the bed.

“Lovely,” he said. “Your tattoos are hand done, are they not? The colors are amazingly vibrant.” He paused, and then looked up into the pewter eyes. “Did it hurt to get that?” he asked curiously.

“Yes,” Kazuhari replied simply. “But what is a little pain when one gets what one wants?”

“Hmm, yes,” Chun Lian agreed, letting his eyes go even lower. He sucked in a breath at the magnificent erection that Kazuhari was sporting. “I would definitely agree with that statement, Kazuhari-san,” he said rather breathily, still staring at the thick length between the big man’s thighs. 

A chuckle, then Kazuhari pulled him up against his chest. “I assure you, Kami-sama,” he rumbled just before he swooped in to claim that red mouth once again, “That you will feel more pleasure than pain.”

Chun Lian lifted his arms to wind them around the big man’s neck once more. He pressed his own erection against the yakuza boss’s stomach, making little cat-like noises in the back of his throat as Kazuhari devoured him from the mouth down. Big hands sketched his pale skin, discovering its hairlessness and smooth silky texture simultaneously. He grabbed a hold of a tight little ass, cupping and squeezing the cheeks until the Kami was squirming against him. When their lips finally parted, the Kami’s eyes were half-lidded and full of desire. Kazuhari made a low sound rather like a growl as he pushed Chun Lian backward onto the bed. He wanted to touch, to taste, and to feel every bit of that soft white skin. And he proceeded to do just that while the beautiful creature arched and cried out for him.

Chun Lian panted and writhed under the assault of Kazuhari’s lips, teeth, tongue and fingers. The man was a skilled lover, something he hadn’t been entirely sure of before this. He looked like a brute after all…but he supposed that anyone who studied kendo wouldn’t necessarily be an animal. Not that he minded animals, considering his nature…but he could also appreciate the tongue sparking his nerves as it traced down his thigh, or the way hard fingers were lightly stroking his cock where it strained against his belly. Teeth bit very softly at his anklebone and then a tongue lapped at it. Who would have imagined that that bone would be so sensitive? He gasped and jerked as those darkened pewter eyes stared down at him with the light of desire and triumph mingling together in them. 

Hands rolled him over and worshipped his back. “Kami-sama, you are exquisite,” the yakuza boss growled against his skin. “So soft, so beautiful, so desirable. And this hair…” his fingers buried themselves in it, lifting the heavy glossy tresses reverently. “I could get lost in it. I would like to wrap it around myself, to pull on it when I’m fucking you, to wind it around my cock as I masturbate….”

Chun Lian shuddered at his words and pushed backward off the bed urgently. A tongue traced his vertebrae, laving attention on each individual bone. Then it was sliding over his buttocks and fingers were parting them. It softly traced down and closed over that most secret place between them, and the Kami cried out in ecstasy as Kazuhari proceeded to eat him out with ruthless skill. It had been some time since anyone had done this to him, and Chun Lian was lost in a haze of pleasure. His fingernails ripped at the fabric of the bedspread under him as his fingers closed into near claws. 

Finally he could take no more of this passive enjoyment. He slid out of the big man’s grip suddenly, taking him by surprise, and rolled over like a serpent. Chun Lian threw himself at Kazuhari with a light in his eyes that made the yakuza boss gasp a bit himself. Then a little bundle of passion descended on him and he could only moan as a wicked mouth displayed its own skill to him. Chun Lian traced the patterns in his tattoo with a tongue tip that felt prehensile. Sharp white teeth worried the flat male nipples crowning the big man’s chest, and Kazuhari made a low sound and arched his back a bit. And that hair! It slid over his skin in time with the Kami’s caresses, tickling and caressing him in turns. Strands of it fell into his lap and slid over his cock, making the yakuza boss shudder and groan as Chun Lian nipped at the muscles of his abdomen. Then those gleaming purple-and-gold eyes rolled up to look at his face as the beautiful creature moved into his lap and went to work on him with centuries of skill. 

Kazuhari’s face twisted as that red mouth took him in. His fingers closed in the glossy hair as the Kami did the most astonishing things with his mouth, things he wouldn’t even have imagined possible. The tongue twining around his cock felt like it was about three-feet long, the tip flicking and putting just the right amount of pressure on the most sensitive spots on his erection. He felt like he was a boy of fourteen instead of a man in his mid-thirties, because it seemed to a dazed Kazuhari that he could come at any moment from this amazing blow job. His head went back, and he would have lost it altogether if the Kami hadn’t ruthlessly abandoned him just then. 

Chun Lian flowed into his lap. “Don’t come just yet, Kazuhari-san,” he said sharply. “Not until you are inside of me. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Kami-sama,” the yakuza boss replied, grabbing the Kami around his slender waist. “But wait a moment…” he reached out and leaned over to retrieve a tube from a bedside drawer. “This is lube,” he told the Kami, who nodded.

“Yes, my grandfather told me about that.”

Kazuhari’s eyebrows rose as he looked at Chun Lian. “That is a strange thought,” he remarked. “That your venerable grandfather explained such a thing to you…”

Chun Lian laughed. “He is not exactly venerable,” he replied. “Despite his many years. He only appears to be the same age as I do.”

“I see. You Kami are strange beings, truly.”

Chun Lian could only gasp a bit in reply, since a slicked-up finger had thrust itself into his body as the yakuza boss spoke. His head tilted a little as he moved his hips, and his nails closed in the skin of Kazuhari’s shoulders hard enough to make the big man grunt in pain. But that didn’t stop him from moving his finger inside of the tight creature rather sharply. He bent his head at the same time and began to defile the white arch of the spirit’s neck with hickies. Chun Lian rubbed his erection against the human’s stomach and moaned as that invading finger wormed its way deeper and deeper inside of him. 

Teeth nibbled at his jaw line as Kazuhari pushed a second finger inside of Chun Lian. The Kami was ready for it, completely excited and needy. He only moaned and arched as the fingers scissored inside of his body, preparing it to take something bigger. He bit at the yakuza boss’s shoulder in turn, almost hard enough to draw blood. A snarl was the response to this pain and then the fingers twisted. He cried out, his body tensing, his breath panting in his throat. “Kazuhari-san, take me now,” he demanded, pushing downward on those fingers.

“Are you sure, Kami-sama?” the big man asked, licking at one of his ears. 

“Yes! Now!” the Kami cried demandingly. And the yakuza boss was happy to give him what he wanted. Fingers parted his buttocks and something big began to rub relentlessly against the ring of his anus. The slick head pushed and prodded until it finally slid inside, and both of them gasped in tandem. Chun Lian’s face twisted with pain, but he wouldn’t be stopped. He wanted what he wanted and he wanted it now…He seized the yakuza boss’s shoulders when Kazuhari stopped and used them as leverage as he pushed downward relentlessly. That thick thing breeched him and he cried out as his nails sank into the human’s skin. A sound of pain broke from his partner was well, as blood began to well up from the tattooed skin where the nails had broken it. 

“Kami-sama,” the human groaned into his ear. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” Chun Lian grunted. 

But the yakuza boss didn’t believe him. He could feel how the spirit’s slender body was quivering. He moved, still buried inside that tight space, and lay Chun Lian on the bed. The Kami blinked up at him in confusion, but he was reaching for a pillow to put it under the beautiful creature’s hips and thighs. Then he pushed the long slim legs open wider, as this position would make his penetration easier and less painful for the lovely being’s first time. He hovered over the Kami, looking down into the rather wide purple-and-gold eyes. “You don’t have to take it hard just because you’ve never been a uke before,” he chided Chun Lian softly. “You don’t have to prove anything to me or yourself either. I know how strong you are, Kami-sama. I’m not going to think that you’re weak just because you spread your legs for me.”

Chun Lian looked surprised. He hadn’t even known why he was doing what he had until the human had pointed it out to him. He let his body relax around the spike driven into it and lifted his arms to set his hands on the yakuza boss’s back. “You’re right,” he conceded as the man remained still inside of him while he adjusted to the feeling of penetration. “I never looked down upon my ukes for playing that role, so why should I do it to myself? Thank you, Kazuhari-san.”

“You’re most welcome,” the human replied, just before he moved his hips. Chun Lian gasped a bit as the yakuza boss tried a small thrust. “Does it still hurt?” the human asked, stilling again.

“Not so much. It just feels…strange,” the Kami replied, his eyes going inward.

“Ah. But you’ll get used to it,” Kazuhari replied as he thrust once again. Slow, measured, inevitable…each time that he slid back into Chun Lian’s body the Kami moaned and arched a bit for him. The pain was fading at last, as was the peculiar sickening feeling that had accompanied the stretching. The pewter eyes blazed down into his as the yazuka boss continued his movements. And oh, the pain finally left him to be miraculously replaced by pleasure…he writhed, so gracefully and beautifully, as the human picked up the pace of his strokes when he saw that the spirit wasn’t in pain anymore. 

Time seemed to slow. Chun Lian had on idea how long it went on as their bodies meshed and merged over and over again. Kazuhari was pushing into him harder and faster now and he welcomed each thrust. Bursts of pleasure, like lightning bolts, danced down his nerve endings when the cock buried in him hit something inside of him almost each time that the man slid home. He bit at his kiss swollen lips desperately, his body tensing as the pleasure continued to coil higher and higher within him. Seeing that his lovely Kami was close to coming, Kazuhari groaned: “Touch yourself, Kami-sama. Stroke yourself. I want to watch you when you come for me.”

Chun Lian moaned, one of his hands leaving the yakuza boss’s shoulders so that he could reach down and grasp his own erection. His fingers tightened to the point of pain as he stroked himself, and he heard a satisfied sound as the human somehow picked up his pace even more. That cock driving in his body, his own hand moving on himself, it was all too much…he flew apart with an amazed cry, his orgasm vast and powerful. He heard a groan above him, then a wash of warmth inside of him as Kazuhari succumbed to the feel of those tight muscles convulsing around him. The big body shuddered over him, half-collapsing over his spent body. Chun Lian’s eyes were closed and his chest heaved as he fought to get his breath back.

He let his hands stroke down the big man’s sweating back, his nails lightly scoring the skin. “Mmm, I think that that was definitely worth putting up with my teasing, wasn’t it Kazuhari-san?” he asked throatily.

A grunt of agreement. “Most definitely,” the big man said against his neck. Then lips and a nose nuzzled the skin. “But I think that we might have to practice at it to become perfect. Don’t you agree?”

 

"Yes," the Kami replied, "I absolutely agree."


	17. Chapter 17

“That is the scariest thing I have ever seen,” Leno Orcot stated in a flat, rather horrified tone of voice. 

His words sent a laugh through the small group. He was sitting on a lounge chair near the edge of a very large tent that he and Daniel had rented for the day to keep their precious (and very pale) mates out of the blazing sun. Three of the Kamis were comfortably ensconced on lounge chairs of their own(Chun Lian had declined to come to the beach today, saying that he had some personal business of his own to attend to), Sofu holding Maoh in a sling that draped over his shoulder. The tiny baby was asleep, his rosy little mouth making sucking motions as though he were dreaming of his parent’s breast. His mate Daniel White Horse was sharing the lounge chair with him, occasionally stroking a finger tenderly down his tiny son’s cheek. 

Stephen had draped his long form over a lounge chair and had pulled his tiny mate to sit with his back against the human’s chest and torso. His chin was resting on Lord D’s glossy hair and he looked very content with his position. Buddy was perched on the back of their chair, croaking to himself and using his beak to clean his claws. The young human meant to go play in the surf soon, but for the moment he was just happy to cuddle his mate close in the shade of the tent. Leon felt a hand on his arm and turned his head to look at D where the Kami was draped across the lounge chair next to him.

“Come now, Leon,” his mate chided him gently, amusement in the soft voice, “Jean is enjoying himself. Isn’t that what you intended when you brought him here?”

“Yeah, but I’d rather not have seen that all the same,” the blonde replied, waving a hand at the beach a short way away. 

The French werewolf, in the grand tradition of his people, was lying sunning himself on a towel - and he was wearing nothing but a Speedo and a pair of sunglasses while he did it. His body was muscular and strong looking, with wide shoulders. But it was also hairy…extremely hairy. Black hair covered his chest in a mat, and his arms practically had a pelt covering them. Of course he was werewolf, it wasn’t a surprise – but for a man who’d preferred women before this, and now had a completely hairless male mate, the sight of all of that body hair was enough to turn Leon’s stomach. And those Speedos were so damn tight you could tell that Jean wasn’t circumcised…he shuddered visibly.

Daniel chuckled. “I’m not saying that he’s a thing of beauty, Leon,” he commented. “But we know he’s French. They do this kind of thing all the time. We should just be glad that he isn’t nude.”

The blonde made a sound like a sink backing up at this thought and ostentatiously closed his eyes. “God,” he said. “Did you have to say that, Daniel? I don’t think I’m every going to want to eat again.”

Stephen laughed. “Man, you can tell that he used to be straight, can’t you? Definitely a breeder,” he teased. Daniel guffawed at his words as Leon turned to glare at them both. 

“Even if I’d been gay Grizzly Adams is not my idea of sexy, thank you very much.”

An explosion of laughter rocked the tent at his words as the Kamis exchanged puzzled glances. Once more their humans were referring to something that they did not understand. But this happened often enough that they simply wrote it off as being normal. “Ooo, look at that,” The detective heard D say. He turned back around and saw that a muscular young blonde carrying a surf board had walked over to Jean and was talking to him. The werewolf had pushed down his sunglasses and was looking with interest up at the young hunk. The surfer dude jerked his head at the ocean in obvious invitation. Jean nodded and got lithely to his feet, with far more grace than you’d expect such a big man to display. He and the blonde went off toward the surf together. 

Leon blew out a breath. “Hope that means what I think it means,” he commented. “But one way or another, at least he’s in the water,” the detective added, grateful that he didn’t have to look at that particular ‘view’ anymore.

There was more laughter at his expanse, but he simply didn’t care. He happily stretched out on the lounge chair next to D, wanting to get in a short nap before he plunged into the surf and took a swim and maybe also challenged Stephen and Daniel to a game of Frisbee or football on the beach. 

 

 

Kazuhari lay on his back and watched the Kami sway over him. Chun Lian was riding him, the Kami’s slender hands splayed over his chest, the dark fingernails digging into his skin. The exquisite creature moaned in pleasure, his head going back to show the clean line of the elegant neck. The glossy hair fell down his back and tickled the yakuza boss’s thighs and groin, making him gasp. So beautiful! And so tight around his cock. His own fingers dug into the bedspread under him as he fought not to grab the slim hips and help the Kami move. Chun Lian was going at his own pace, in a slow rocking that was working the Japanese man up to a fever pitch. But he didn’t want to drive into that tight body anyway because this was the third time and the Kami had to be sore by now. Not that he was showing it…

“Ahh,” Chun Lian gasped, his head falling forward so that his startling eyes could look deep into Kazuhari’s pewter ones. “Mmm, you feel so good, Kazuhari-san.”

“And you as well, Kami-sama,” the yakuza boss grunted. 

A sultry smile spread over the red lips, and then the Kami deliberately tightened his internal muscles hard around Kazuhari’s cock. The big man groaned in pleasure and involuntarily pushed upward with his hips. Chun Lian moaned in counterpoint at this thrust, his back arching. “Touch me, Kazuhari-san,” he said demandingly.

The yakuza boss grabbed his slim wand of a cock and stroked it harshly. Chun Lian cried out, shuddering, as he came all over the human’s hand and thighs. Kazuhari made a low sound as those tight muscles convulsed wildly around him, and he couldn’t help himself. He came inside the Kami for the third time, feeling spent and rather worn out as Chun Lian wilted over his chest like a dying rose. He caught the lovely creature in his hands, holding him up, as that gorgeous hair fell over his chest in a veil. Their panting breaths were loud in the quiet room. “Hmm, I think I’m done,” the Japanese man commented.

“That’s just as well; I don’t think I’m up for another try either,” Chun Lian replied breathily. “In all senses of the word,” he added dryly.

Kazuhari laughed a bit and set him to the side. He rolled over a bit so that the Kami was lying next to him on the bed, looking into those stunning purple-and-gold eyes. “Will you stay, Kami-sama?” he asked. “Or shall I have a car take you home?”

“Are you trying to get me to stay, Kazuhari-san, or are you just trying to find out where I live?” the Kami asked in amusement. 

“Both,” the yakuza boss replied promptly, “Since I have to escort you home sometime, don’t I?”

Chun Lian chuckled. “Fortunately for you, Kazuhari-san, I’ve decided to stay in Los Angeles for a while. Normally I would have moved on by now, but since my father is pregnant with my brother I thought I’d stay until he has the child. But I would advise you not to come around the pet shop too often to collect me, since two of my family’s mates just happen to be policemen…”

Kazuhari’s brows shot up. “Two of them? What are the odds?”

“I don’t know, but I would hate for them to decide they had to arrest you – or even more likely, set other policemen on you when they realize just what you are.”

“And you feel no inclination to turn me in to them?” Kazuhari asked curiously.

Chun Lian shook his glossy head in a negative gesture. “Of course not. Human laws do not interest me, nor do they apply to my people. What you do is your own business. “

“I see. You are a remarkable creature, Kami-sama. I look forward to an extended liaison with you.” 

“Do you have to go back to Japan anytime soon?” the Kami asked, propping his head on one slim hand.

“No, I can put it off indefinitely. Although I will have to go back for short visits on business, I will always come back to Los Angeles – or at least for as long as you are still here.”

“And perhaps I shall schedule a trip to Asia after Father has the baby,” Chun Lian replied. “It has been some time since I last visited your beautiful country, Kazuhari-san.”

“I will be happy to show you all of its beauties,” the yakuza boss replied. 

“I will look forward to that,” the Kami said, turning on his back and stretching like a contented cat. “But for now, I need to sleep some more. Only a few hours, and then you can take me home so that you know where I live,” he added in amusement.

“Very well,” strong arms reached out and pulled him close, and Chun Lian closed his eyes. He yawned a bit, liking the feel of the hard naked body pressed to his. It had been some time since he’d shared a bed with anyone; he was a solitary creature by nature. But this felt good too. His eyes flickered closed, and they were both sound asleep in the yakuza boss’s bed. 

 

 

Chris and T-chan were frolicking in the surf, both boys laughing as they splashed each other. The family dog, Cheng Tze, was barking and chasing the droplets of water as the boys played. Leon, Daniel, and Stephen were watching over the boys while tossing a football back and forth. The Kamis were still in the shade, spreading a picnic lunch out on a towel in the sand. Lord D pushed some strands of his hair back as he watched his mate laugh and pick Chris up so that he could put the blonde boy on his shoulders. Chris squealed over how high up he was and clutched at Stephen’s hair. The Kami laughed softly at the grimace of pain that crossed his mate’s face as he carefully pried Chris’s fingers from their tight grip. He thought to himself that his mate was going to be an excellent father for the tiny spark of life growing in his body. His hand closed over his abdomen at this thought, and Sofu smiled faintly when he saw his child’s expression.

The eldest Kami looked far out in the water where his friend Jean was swimming with the blonde surfer dude. The two seemed to have hit it off right away. Stephen had made the oddest comment about: “Some men liking bears,” to Daniel, puzzling both the Kamis and Leon completely. But he’d only grinned and refused to explain that one at all, and Daniel had been equally unforthcoming. He only hoped that meant that Jean had found someone who returned his interest, rather than the unresponsive (and armed) Leon Orcot.

Maoh stirred at his breast, the big eyes sliding open. The Kami smiled down at his child, who blinked before he began to make demanding sounds. He was hungry again. Sofu looked at D, who got to his feet and came over with a beach towel to hold up in front of his grandfather so that Sofu could expose one of his tiny breasts. Whether breastfeeding in public was legal or not, Sofu was a private enough creature that he did not want to attract attention while he fed his child. Maoh latched onto a nipple happily, sucking away as his little fist kneaded Sofu’s flesh. The Kami began to sing softly to the baby as Lord D came around to watch his brother eat. Love shone in his purple gaze for this little being, and his hand stroked his own belly where a new life was even now forming. 

They were a beautiful picture, and Leon stopped what he was doing to nudge the other two men. All of the humans turned to gaze at their mates, seeing only Sofu’s bent head above the towel that a gracefully kneeling D was holding up in front of him. But they all knew what he was doing behind there, and they exchanged smiles. “I can’t wait to be a dad,” Stephen breathed softly.

“I already love it,” Daniel replied in satisfaction. “Don’t you want to become one too, Leon?” he asked the blonde teasingly.

“Later,” the detective grunted. “Much later,” he added, making both of them laugh at him. 

 

 

They were a tired but happy group when they returned to the pet shop that evening. Leon was slightly sunburned, as was Stephen. Chris was okay because he’d gotten sun block slathered on him at repeated intervals. The Kamis had wisely stayed under the tent for most of the day. Jean wasn’t with them; he’d gone off with the surfer dude (introduced only as Ricky) to go to a beach party with him. Who knew when the werewolf would come back? Probably sometime tomorrow, if then. Daniel started to carry Maoh inside the shop as the other humans unpacked the back of the car. The Kami wanted to help, but their mates were turning mulish. Even the non-pregnant (and non-recovering from birth) D was shooed off by the blonde detective. They rolled their eyes almost as one but didn’t protest too much. Humans were immensely stubborn creatures, as they’d discovered personally over the last two years. 

A car pulled up to the curb. It was black and had tinted windows. Everyone turned to look at it, and to their surprise the back door opened and Chun Lian stepped out of the vehicle. The Kami was wearing a slightly too large coat which concealed his regular clothing completely. They all stared at him as he came to a halt on seeing his family gathered in front of the pet shop. He turned and spoke to someone in the car and then it drove away. The Kami turned and began to stroll toward them. “Good evening, everyone,” he remarked.

“Who was that?” Leon demanded suspiciously.

A rather sly smile spread over Chun Lian’s red mouth. “I’m afraid that I can’t tell you that, Leon,” he replied calmly. “Just a friend of mine, that is all.” The inflection he put on ‘friend’ made them all stare at him. His smile widened. “Did you have a good day at the beach?” he went on, looking them all over in turn.

“Yeah,” Leon said. “Pretty much. What did you do?” he asked abruptly.

“Do you really wish me to go into detail about my activities today, Leon?” the Kami replied in a purring tone of voice. “Because if you do, I will.”

A gulp. “Uh, no,” the detective said hurriedly. “That’s all right.”

Chun Lian laughed. “Well then, I’m going to my room to take a bath. I’ll see you all at dinner,” he moved past them all with a last smile, opening the door of the shop and disappearing inside. 

Daniel’s brows lifted. “What was that about?” he wondered.

“I don’t think I really want to know anymore,” Leon replied, as Stephen laughed and put an arm around his mate. Sofu’s golden eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and he decided to get the identity of that person who’d just dropped his grandson off out of Chun Lian later. For now it was time to put Maoh down, start dinner, and take care of the animals in the shop. Everyone started inside, mellow after their day at the beach and feeling decidedly at peace with the world. Any problems that arose could be dealt with later – for now there was only friends, family, and (with the inclusion of Buddy and Cheng Tze) beloved pets. All was right with their world…at least for today anyway.

 

The End


End file.
